Masquerade
by EmeraldDragon
Summary: Sequal to "To Forge the Master"  A year after becoming the Hero of Hyrule, Link has settled into his new role. When a Duke arrives in the castle seeking a lost artifact, Link and Shiek must set out to retrieve it. But they are not alone in their quest.
1. Chapter 1

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 1

A wicked grin ghosted across his lips as he saw the man sitting next to the fire. Thoughts of revenge danced through his mind as he silently slid the mirror-bright sword from its sheath. Heavy boots moved like cat's paws over the leaf littered forest floor. With time-honed skill he held himself in perfect stillness; even his famed sword seemed to dodge the dappled forest light.

Then he struck, sword meeting flesh and dark blood oozing forth. But the man was nobody's prey. With unnatural grace, he dodged at the last moment, so the blade just caressed his neck with its searing kiss. The man spun, his own swords flashing in the sunlight, fierce green eyes practically glowing.

"Link, you little son of a bitch!" the man snarled, though it was tempered by an eyebrow raised in surprise. Bringing a hand up, he touched his throat with his fingers. "You made me bleed!"

Link laughed. "All's fair in love and war." He raised the Master Sword and took up a fighting stance. "And if I remember correctly, you love war games."

Sheik growled behind his scarf. "I'm going to kick your scrawny farmboy ass, Hero."

"Put your rupees where your mouth is," Link laughed as he lunged. The older man caught the blow on one slim sword, while striking with the other. A loud clang rang through the forest as sword struck shield. Both men pushed hard, trying to drive the other back.

Suddenly Link ducked, letting Sheik overbalance, before driving his shoulder into his former teacher's gut. Sheik let out an "oomph" and brought his knee up. His position did not afford him much range of motion, but the impact was enough to shove Link back. Hyrule's Hero rolled away, before springing to his feet and bringing up his sword and shield again. Sheik was fast, attacking before Link had even gained his feet, and the young man barely caught the twin blades across his shield.

Link pushed hard, sending Sheik tumbling backwards. Twisting his grip on his blade, Link lunged. His knee landed a winding blow to Sheik's chest, while the point of his sword stopped only a breath away from the older man's throat. However, Sheik had brought his swords up as well, scissoring them across Link's throat.

For a long moment, green eyes stared into blue, then both young men began to laugh. Link withdrew and sheathed his sword, before offering a hand to Sheik. As the older man got to his feet, Link looked him over. Though still dressed in his blue body suit, the clothes were newer and better made. And the scarf he used to hide the lower half of his face was more of a wrap.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Link asked. "Last I heard, you had become Zelda's personal body guard." Link took a few steps back into the forest and returned with a rabbit. He sat down next to the fire and began to clean his kill. "Castle life starting to disagree with you?"

Sheik sat down across from him and stretched out. "Nope, I'm looking for you."

Link looked up from his rabbit. "Me? Why? Has something happened?"

"No, at least nothing serious. A man came to the castle and requested an audience with you, says it's very important." Sheik shrugged dismissively.

"You don't think so?"

Sheik blew out a long breath. "I think he thinks it is critical to continuance of life in Hyrule." Link snorted. "Anyway, Zelda sent an envoy to Lon Lon Ranch, but Halon said you hadn't been there in almost two months and he had no idea when you'd be back. So Zelda sent me to find you."

"How is the ranch? Papa-Lon have everything under control?" Link asked without looking up as he skewered the rabbit and put it over the fire.

"They're fine," Sheik answered evenly. He turned his green eyes on his friend. "What about you? Why are you all the way out here?"

Link sighed. "I just needed to get away."

"Away?"

"Yeah, who would have thought the hardest part of being the Hero of Hyrule would be dealing with the people."

Sheik propped himself up on one elbow and raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow, Hero."

"After I returned to the Ranch, I expected life to go back to normal, but it didn't. Everyday people came by to meet me, asking me to bless their babies or their farm. Merchants want me to wear their clothes or use their weapons. Dozens want me to teach their sons bravery and swordsmanship. I even had a few clergy come by and ask me to join their convent. They wanted to make me a saint."

Sheik stared at him for a moment, then burst into a fit of laughter. "You? A saint! HA!"

"That isn't even the worst part. Do you know how many letters I get in a week asking me to marry someone's daughter? Some of their families are even offering their entire farms as dowry. It is insane."

Sheik chuckled for a few minutes more before he could continue. "So you ran away?"

"Obviously I haven't run far enough, since you found me," Link quipped back, then sighed. "No, not exactly. I just needed a break is all. Give me a war with Bokoblins; but, please, no more marriage proposals."

Sheik snorted. "So is that all you've been doing, camping out in the woods hoping the world will forget about you?"

"Nope, built a small farm. Camping under the stars is all well and good, but I still like a nice straw mattress and a roof over my head when I can get it." Link paused. "I've... been working on my magic too."

"Oh?" Sheik asked in casual amusement. "Can you light a fire with just a word now?"

Link peered at him through his bangs and smiled. Taking a small wooden pipe from his tunic, he put the instrument to his lips and began to play. The song was only eight simple notes long, but even as the last note quivered, the air stirred and the fire roared to life. Sheik yelped and jumped back as the low burning embers suddenly became a towering inferno. "I call it the Bolero of Fire," Link said coolly.

"Shit..."

As the fire quieted and ebbed back to embers, Link raised the instrument again and played another six notes. This time, as the air stirred, white wings that seemed made of pure light grew from his shoulders, each stretching twenty feet as they spread. Their very presence lifted him a foot off the ground. "I call this one the Song of Soaring. It's useful to get from one place to another in a big hurry, but only things physically attached to me can go with me." Link settled and the wings faded away. "I can also turn night into day or vice versa, and call rain or sun."

Sheik sat back down and stared at him. "I can see why so many farmers want you to be part of the family."

The corner of Link's mouth twitched. "You're the first person I've told. Not even Papa-Lon knows."

Sheik gave him a grin. "Awww, you love me best! Marry me?"

"I hate you, so very much."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Link turned the rabbit on its spit. Finally, Link broke the topic. "So what does this guy want, exactly?"

Sheik shrugged. "Not sure. He's looking for something. I think he lost it, but... he talks funny. So I'm not sure."

"How do you mean?"

Sheik sat up straight and pulled a scroll out of his bottomless pouch. Unrolling it, he began to read. "By decree of the Duke of Termina, Keeper of the Scrolls, Holder of the Sacred Keys, Watcher of the Great Clock, requests audience with the Hero of Hyrule, Bearer of the Sacred Blade of the Triforce, Herald of the Goddesses, for the sole and singular purpose of recovering the Artifact of The Lost God in such that an alliance be forged between our two Kingdoms in peace forevermore."

"Is that just one sentence?" Link gaped.

"Yes, and he actually talks like this," Sheik replied evenly.

Link stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "So what is this...thing he wants me to find? And why me?"

"Don't know on either count." He grinned and flopped back down on the ground. "Me, I'm just a lowly servant, not worthy to hear the plans of the politicians."

"Bullshit." Link snorted. "You know perfectly well what's going on."

Sheik sat back up and raised his hands in innocence. "Sorry, Hero. I really don't know. I did my own poking about, but no one knows what this Artifact is, and Mister Pompous refuses to talk to anyone but you."

Link sighed. "All right. I guess I have to go. But first I need to get my gear."

"Nice!" Sheik looked up at Link's house as they entered the clearing. "Did you get the Kokiri to build this for you?" The home had been carved inside a massive tree up against a small drop off. The tree itself was long dead, and the limbs had been sawed away to make the roof, and to prevent them from being torn off. There were several windows and it appeared to be two stories tall.

"Yep," Link smiled. "My home away from home." He pushed open a door that had been carved with the Triforce symbol. Inside was cozy. Warm sunlight poured in through the windows, dust swirling in the golden beams. Though everything was Hyrulian sized, it was clearly made by Kokiri. A winding staircase led to a small balcony overhead where Sheik could make out the edge of a bed draped in a homemade quilt. Items and trinkets Link had gathered in their travels, and perhaps at times afterwards, hung on the walls. The back wall was made of packed earth, with a door that led to another room beyond.

Sheik dropped into a chair at the table as Link made his way to the door in the dirt wall. Opening it, he revealed a small store of dried meat. He took a couple of slabs of venison off one rack and returned to the main room. "I don't keep a lot here," Link said as he wrapped the meat to pack for the trip. "So it won't take long."

Sheik shrugged. "There's not much point in heading out tonight. The sun will be down before we get out of the forest."

Link nodded, but kept packing. "Still, this way we can leave first thing."

Sheik leaned on the table, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "What for? The guy obviously isn't in a hurry. And this will be my first chance to sleep in, in almost a season. Zelda keeps an insane schedule just to keep the kingdom running. And I picked up a few orphans to train as other personal guards. Because if I have to continue keeping pace with her, I'm going to lose my mind."

Link laughed. "All right, we'll leave whenever you drag your overworked butt out of bed."

It was a five day journey across Hyrule Field from Link's retreat to LonLon Ranch. The pair set a leisurely pace, using the time to catch up. Sheik talked about the orphans he was raising, and Link filled in more of the details of some of his misadventures in marriage proposals.

They finally arrived at LonLon Ranch late on the fifth day and entered into a scene of controlled chaos. After putting Nightfire and Blu into the barn, they entered the house to find four men all yelling at the top of their lungs. They were all yelling at once, making the conversation impossible to make out aside from a few words.

Link peeked into the dining room to see a group of farmers all standing around the table shouting at each other. They banged their fists on the table and looked ready to brawl right in the middle of the room. Papa Lon sat at the head of the table, his head resting in his hands. His shoulders sagged as he slouched forward in his chair.

"Papa Lon, what's going on?" Link asked as he stepped into the room, Sheik in tow. All of the farmers fell silent at once and Papa Lon looked up, his expression a mixture of relief and anxiety.

"Link, you're–"

"It's about time!" one of the farmers snapped.

"Excuse me?" Link asked.

One farmer took a threatening step towards Link. He had a thick beard and leathery weather-beaten skin, and he towered a good head taller than Sheik. His overalls were caked with dirt and straw. Link crinkled his nose as the man's breath hit him in the face. "You arrogant little punk! Who do you think you are? I offered you a great dowry for my little angel! And you can't even lower yourself to respond."

"That is enough," Link said in a firm, even voice. "I have not responded because I have been away from home. Even now I am only passing through on my way to the castle at the request of Princess Zelda. I will review your request at my first available opportunity, but it will not be tonight."

The man growled and lumbered forward another pace. Link felt his foot slid back across the floorboards as he reacted to the larger man's threatening body language. He had to clench his hand into a fist to keep from reaching for his sword. When the man grabbed for the front of his tunic, Link took a quick half-step out of reach. The larger man followed, overextending his reach and throwing off his balance. He stumbled and Link side stepped.

Sheik caught the large man by his shoulder, stopping his forward movement. Link had spent enough time with Sheik over the last year to read his expressions even with half his face hidden. The farmer would have done well had he heeded the warning in those green eyes. Instead, he drew back and took a swing at him. Sheik grabbed his wrist and yanked the man forward, only to plant his knee in the man's gut.

The farmer let out a loud "whoosh" as he dropped heavily to the floor. Sheik glared down at him. "You will show respect for the Hero of Hyrule, especially when he is on official business. Now, will show yourself out or do I need to do it for you?"

The man muttered to himself as he pushed himself to his feet and, under Sheik's fierce gaze, stumbled out of the house.

"That wasn't necessary," Link huffed.

Sheik shrugged. "He started it."

"Link!" Papa Lon interrupted, slapping him on the shoulder. "It's good to see you again."

Link smiled back at his adoptive father. "It's good to be home. How is Ray?"

"Good, good." He glanced over his shoulder at the other men still at the table. "You have good timing, you have visitors." Link tried to keep a smile on his face, but felt it slip anyway. Sheik snickered.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to the remaining men. "How can I help you?"

All eyes collectively shifted to look at Sheik before returning to him.

One man, who was the youngest of the group, cleared his throat. "Well, we all propositioned you for possible marriage to our daughters. But it seems you were not truly ignoring us, but were simply busy. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Link nodded. "I'm not in a hurry to leave in the morning. If none of you mind staying, I will listen to what you have to say. But I will not make a decision tonight." The men all nodded in agreement.

Papa Lon made Link and Sheik a hearty meal of beef stew and cold milk. And they sat down to listen to what each of the men had to say.

The first man was not a farmer as Link had assumed. The dust on his cloths was actually flour and he owned a bakery in Castle Town that bought milk from Lon Lon Ranch to make his goods. He was the youngest of the men and was actually there on behalf of his late father, who had passed away. They did not have much to offer in the way of a dowry, all they owned was tied up in the bakery and the family shared a single room on the floor above. The dowry came down to a few homemade quilts, some heirloom jewelry, and the promise that the girl was an amazing cook.

The next man Link recognized as the farmer they bought their hay from. He was fairly smug, hinting at how LonLon Ranch was dependent on his farm. His dowry seemed to largely hinge on how Papa Lon would benefit from Link ultimately owning his hay farm.

The last man, and the oldest of the group, was the owner of a large dairy farm. While LonLon Ranch produced milk to supplement their income, his farm focused exclusively on it. He employed almost a hundred people, from shepherds who tended the cows and goats to milkmaids who collected the milk to carriers who delivered the milk all over Hyrule. His dowry was impressive. His daughter was the only child of him and his late wife, and should Link choose to marry her, he would be the sole heir. In addition, he would provide LonLon Ranch with a dozen of his high quality cows and enough rupees for Ray to attend school like a noble's daughter.

Link yawned as he waved to the three men who were bedding down in the living room, as he and Sheik headed upstairs to his room. It was well past midnight and not safe to travel, so they would leave in the morning.

"So?" Sheik asked as he shut the door.

"So what?" Link asked as he gathered up a hammock and began hanging it in a corner.

"Which one will you accept?"

Link frowned at him. "Don't know, don't care. I have several dozen offers I haven't even looked at yet. Besides, I'm not short on choices, so why not marry the girl I like instead of the one with the biggest dowry."

Sheik shrugged and flopped down in the hammock. "You want me to poke around? Find out which girls are even worth your time?" Link rolled his eyes and gave a non-communicative grunt. "Spoilsport," Sheik laughed.

"Go to sleep, Sheik."

Link stretched as he sat up in bed. Morning sun poured through his window, revealing that Sheik had already left the room. It was far later than he would have normally slept. Kicking off the blankets, he dressed, washed his face in the basin, and headed downstairs. He was met halfway by a flying mass of red hair and loud squealing.

"Big Brother!"

Link laughed as he scooped up Raylon and tossed her in the air as she laughed. "Hey, Ray! Have you been being good for Papa Lon?"

"Uh huh!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Uncle Sheik says you are going to Castle Town. Can I go with you, Big Brother? Can I, please?"

"Sorry, Ray, I'm going on business," he apologized.

"Awwww,"

"But how about this? After I'm done, I promise I'll take you on a special trip there, just the two of us."

Her eyes lit up. "Really! Can we meet the Princess?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Sheik answered. Link looked up to see the older man leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Good morning, Hero. Finally escaped the Land of Nod, I see."

"Good morning, Uncle Sheik,"

Sheik narrowed his eyes. "Call me that again, Hero. I dare you." Link only grinned. Sheik snorted. "You're fanclub is gone, by the way. So it's safe for us to leave when you're ready."

"Come on, Big Brother, I made you breakfast!" Raylon said as she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the kitchen.

Link sat down at the table and looked at the plate before him. The bread had been sliced at an odd angle and toasted black, the slightly gooey mound of scrambled eggs was punctuated by random bits of white shell, and the bacon looked more like strips of bark than meat.

"It looks delicious, Ray. Thank you."

From the doorway Sheik laughed. "Enjoy your breakfast, I'll saddle the horses." It took all Link had not to glare after him. With great care, and under Raylon's happy gaze, he picked his way through the eggs, crunched on the bread, and managed to gnaw his way through the meat. When he finished, Ray took his plate and skipped off to the kitchen to wash it. Link headed out to the barn.

"How was breakfast?" Sheik asked with barely suppressed laughter.

"Crunchy," Link replied. Sheik gave a bark of laughter.

"So you ready to get moving, Hero? We should make Castle Town by noon tomorrow."

Link nodded as he swung up onto Nightfire's back. They passed Papa Lon in the corral with the horses as they rode out and waved. He came towards them, beckoning them to wait, and both men pulled up short.

"Heading out already, son?"

"Yes, sorry I couldn't stay longer."

Papa Lon shook his head. "You have a lot of responsibilities. But try to visit when you can. Here." He handed Link a small pouch.

"What's this?" Link asked as he opened the drawstring.

"The bakery guy left them for you, his sister baked them. Ray got into them, so there aren't as many as there could be."

Link took a cookie out and popped it into his mouth. Sheik reached over and grabbed one himself, discreetly pulling down his scarf to take a bite. "Okay, Hero, I change my vote. Marry this one."

"You don't have a vote," Link muttered around his second cookie. "Thanks, Papa Lon. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"May the Goddesses go with you, son."

As Link and Sheik made their way out of the Ranch and turned towards Castle Town, Sheik reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a sheet of neatly folded paper. Then began to read it with a great deal of glee. "Dear, Link, Hero of Hyrule. It is with great humility that I request your consideration in the marriage–"

"Give me that!" Link snapped and reached for the letter, but Sheik held it out of reach.

"The marriage of my daughter, Ellisa. She is a beautiful girl with a great love of life and a great devotion to the Goddesses. Even now she studies day and night to become a priestess in Farore's Temple."

"I said, give that back!" Link growled, trying to snatch the letter away. But Sheik spurred Blu forward, keeping just out of Link's reach.

"She is a wonderful cook and a gentle soul. While it pains me to part with her, I would be honored to know she was safe in your capable hands."

"I swear on all three Goddesses I am going to kill you," Link yelled, his face red.

Sheik cackled as he tucked the letter behind his white leather armor. "Take it back if you can, Hero!" He put his heels to Blu's flanks and took off at a gallop. Link urged Nightfire forward. The lighter horse quickly caught up with the heavy Hyrulian Draft. But Sheik veered, keeping away from Link.

With a grin, Link spurred Nightfire faster, charging past Sheik. When he had a small lead, he reined the horse around and charged. Sheik had no time to swerve. As the horses passed each other, Link launched from Nightfire's back, knocking Sheik to the ground. They landed with a hard thump in the tall grass.

Sheik laughed as he kicked Link off and gained his footing. Link rose as well, sword drawn. Sheik reacted in kind and took up a defensive stance. Link lunged and Sheik danced away, keeping just out of his reach.

"What's the matter? Scared, Uncle Sheik?" Link taunted as he chased him.

Sheik cut him a glare. "Keep talking, Hero. I told Zelda I would bring you back. I didn't say I would do it in one piece."

Link lunged again and Sheik dodged and produced what looked like an egg. He threw it to the ground, causing it to explode in a cloud on nauseous gas. Link choked, covering his mouth and nose even as his eyes began to sting and water. He tried to follow Sheik's movements, but he stumbled and felt dizzy. The next thing he knew, he was pulled against a hard body and the blade of a sword caressed his throat.

"The power of the Goddesses you may have, but nothing makes up for experience."

"Damn you," Link coughed, trying not to rub against the blade.

Sheik laughed as he withdrew. "You can have the letter when you can take it from me, Hero."

When night fell they made camp and Sheik offered up the last of their food, stale bread and cold meat. They sat in comfortable silence until it was time for Link to take the first watch. Hyrulian Field had become a great deal safer since his defeat if Ganon, but there were still occasional reports of moblin or bokoblin. But tonight the air was crisp and cool, with a gentle breeze that carried neither sound nor smell of the pests.

Link waited, passing the hours by keeping the fire going, until it was time to make his move. Creeping silently across the soft earth, keeping downwind and making sure the fire would not throw his shadow over the sleeping man, he gingerly slid his hand into Sheik's armor. He expected Sheik to wake up at any moment, but he continued to sleep soundly.

With all the care and grace he could muster, Link found the letter and began to withdraw it. The movement took great care so as not to rip the delicate paper or make it crinkle noisily. When the letter was finally safe back in his hands, he quickly shoved it into his bottomless pouch before returning smugly to his side of the fire.

When it came time to change watch, neither man spoke, and Link lay down, being sure to tuck his pouch underneath him and well out of reach.

As they saddled their horses and got ready to go the next morning, Link discreetly reached into his pouch and felt around until he found the letter. Smiling to himself, he waited for Sheik to catch on.

The morning mist still hugged the ground as they mounted and began the last leg of their journey to Castle Town. With nothing left of their food, they split the remaining cookies to tide them over until they could buy more.

Finally, as the sun was burning away the mist and they could see the drewbridge leading into the biggest town in Hyrule come into view, Sheik turned and smiled. "Care to try for that letter one more time before I have a chance to show it to the Princess?"

Link smiled. "No need. Already got the letter back."

"Oh?" Sheik said mildly and reached into his armor. Link's grin widened as he searched, but quickly fell when his companion withdrew the letter. "Are you sure, Hero. It seems I still have it."

Frowning, Link dug the letter out of his pouch and opened it. The words "_Do you really think you are that sneaky? Love, Sheik._" glared mockingly up at him. Crushing the fake into a wad, he chucked it at Sheik's head as the older man laughed.

Mornings in Castle Town were busy affairs. People hurried about the marketplace, bartering and buying the food and supplies they would need in the near future. Children begged their mothers for a few green rupees to buy sticky buns or small toys. Vendors shouted, trying to hawk their wares or shoo away children pawing at the goods. Shop owners who would not open until later cleaned their floors and windows in preparation for patrons.

The air was heavy with scents. Fresh bread made Link's mouth water and his stomach growl, while the aroma of herb-roasted fish made his toes curl with delight.

Link smiled in spite of himself. The town was so vibrant and alive. Though his forest retreat was peaceful, he missed the hustle and bustle of life in the towns. Still, it was odd being here. He drew curious stares and could hear people speaking in whispers about him. A group of women seemed to think he had been away with a hermit training to improve himself. The men dared each other to challenge him, just to find out if the rumors were true. Children gapped at him with wide eyes, before loudly asking their parents if he really was the Hero of Hyrule. But it was the giggled conversations of girls his own age that made him blush.

Sheik tugged on his tunic and pointed to a bakery, drawing his attention away from the crowd and back to his empty stomach. He nodded in reply and they tied their horses and went inside. The blonde-haired girl behind the counter blushed as she saw him, then in a quiet voice asked if she could help them. Link smiled gently and asked for some sausages biscuits. Sheik ordered the same and a couple of sweet rolls.

The girl quickly complied, blushing as she went to fill their orders. Link paid for the food and they returned to their horses.

"She was cute," Sheik commented. Link nodded in agreement, but said nothing else as he dug into his breakfast. "Clearly a good cook," Sheik added. This time Link glared at him. "Just a statement of facts," Sheik defended, unperturbed.

Link swallowed. "Don't start again."

Sheik sighed. "You're going to have to deal with it eventually. You should be happy; most men don't have such choices."

"All the more reason I should pick a girl I like, not the one who gives me the most cows."

"I suppose," Sheik shrugged. "How many girls did you meet in the woods, by the way?"

"Shut up."

They were greeted at the castle gates by a page who quickly took their horses. With a quick agreement to meet outside the throne room, they split ways. Link's feet carried him to his room in the castle by memory alone. Zelda had given it to him so he could be on hand at times of crisis, though he rarely used it.

The room was the same as he remembered it, still decorated in green and gold with furniture made from rich, dark wood. The only change was a Triforce that had been carved into the head of the bed and plated in gold. With a happy sigh, he dropped his bag on the floor and went to take a bath.

Stripping out of his traveling clothes, Link laid them out on the bed, knowing a maid would be by shortly to take them away for cleaning. He had clearly been expected. The tub was filled with hot water and expensive scented soap and body oils had been laid out alongside large fluffy towels.

He slipped gratefully into the water, sinking to his chin and closing his eyes. It had been months since he'd had a hot bath. The forest was peaceful, but the streams were cold and not deep enough to soak in. Slipping below the surface, he scrubbed the grime from his hair, before settling back for a long, quiet soak.

He was not sure how long he lounged there, but as the water began to cool, he reluctantly took the soap to his skin, scrubbing away the most stubborn dirt. Stepping out, he toweled off and wrapped the towel around his waist.

On cue, there was a gentle knock at the door before it opened. An older woman shuffled in, giving him a small smile. Link smiled in return as she bustled about, clearing the bench of the oils and folding the remaining towel into a pillow at one end, and placed a few drops of oil on it. Link lay down, head resting on the towel now scented with lavender and chamomile.

He heard the woman crack her knuckles, then felt warm oil being dribbled down his spine. She gently spread it across his back in an even layer, then, beginning at his neck, began to rub. Link relaxed as the woman worked the tension from his muscles. Hands skilled with age worked their way from his neck to his shoulders, and down his back. She moved on to his legs, then his feet, taking care to pay attention to every toe. Finally she worked on his hands, lavishing extra care to the left, moved on up his arms, and gave his back another once over.

Giving his cheek a motherly peck, she pat his head and departed. It took Link several minutes to convince his muscles to rise from their liquefied state. He had to admit, there were many things he did not like about being part of the nobility, but this, he loved this part.

When he finally made it back to his room, fresh, formal clothes had been laid out on the bed. With a sigh, he donned the dark green tunic and tan pants, slipped into the polished boots, and clipped on his grey cape. Finally he crowned himself with his trademark Kokiri hat.

Stepping out into the hallway, he made his way to the throne room. Sheik was waiting for him, also freshly bathed and very relaxed. The older man looked up at him, smiling behind his scarf, then pounded on the huge door with his fist. The sound echoed around them, hanging in the air for several minutes before finally fading away. A woman's voice called for them to enter, and he shoved the doors wide to comply.

Princess Zelda sat on her throne, a scroll in one hand, and quill in the other. The tip of the feather was between her lips. Her long blond hair was still braided down her back, having not yet been taken down from her morning ride, and her blue eyes darted back and forth across paper.

"You are going to ruin your good quill doing that," Sheik scolded mildly.

Zelda startled at the sound of his voice, quickly pulling the feather from her mouth. "Sheik, I wasn't expecting you back so soon. Link, welcome, as always."

"Thank you, Princess." Link bowed. "Sheik tells me there is a good reason for dragging me from my peaceful retirement."

Zelda gave a very belabored sigh. "Yes. The Duke of Termina absolutely must speak with you. He says it is a matter of grave importance. Personally, I find I don't care. Find out what he wants and give it to him and get him out of my hair."

Sheik snorted hard. "Aww, Princess, aren't you always telling me to be nice to the other nobles? As you say, you'll never know when you may need a favor."

"I believe I can officially have you whipped," Zelda replied mildly. Sheik only laughed.

"I volunteer to help." Link grinned. Sheik took a swing at him and Zelda giggled.

Shortly, the Princess composed herself. "In all seriousness, Link, it would be beneficial to please him. Termina has been known to have powerful warriors in times past. I do not wish to upset them unnecessarily."

"I will do my best, Princess."

"Thank you," she replied, truly grateful. "He's usually found in the garden at this time of day, having tea." Link smiled and bowed. Zelda went on. "And Sheik, go find your little protegees and do something with them, before I jail them all as public nuisances."

Sheik laughed.

Link stopped under one of the garden's archways, pausing to study the man before him. He was older than Link expected, with thinning grey hair and a shallow, wrinkled face. Though he was dressed in fine clothes, they could not hide the frail body beneath. He was hunched over a well-used book, muttering to himself as he squinted at the words and keeping track of his place with a long, bony finger.

Taking a deep breath, Link approached.

"Sir, I– "

The man fluttered one of his thin hands in Link's general direction, never looking up from his book. "Leave it on the table and go away. Can't you see I am busy, you stupid boy?"

Link's eyebrow rose. "Sir, I believe–"

"I did not stutter," the Duke growled, head still down. "If you are so very incompetent as to not understand a simple command, perhaps you could show some wisdom and learn to keep your primitive mouth firmly closed so your tiny brain does not have to overextend its clearly limited capacity."

Link frowned.

"Master Link?" He turned to see one of the kitchen servant girls coming up the path with a tray of tea and tea cakes. She curtsied to him as best she could without unbalancing her burden. "I did not realize you were taking tea with the Duke this afternoon."

"I only just–"

"You stupid girl!" the duke roared, coming out of his seat far faster than Link would have expected. "How dare you address a noble so informally! Respect, girl, respect!" He raised a bony fist and the girl cringed. Link stepped in front of her, blocking his path.

"If you wish my help, you will treat every member of this castle's staff with dignity," Link said in an even voice. He turned away from the man without moving from his path and took the tray from the girl. As soon as he had it, she used her apron to dry her eyes, gave a quick curtsy, and scurried away like a frightened puppy. He quickly stamped down the anger he felt before turning back to the Duke.

The elderly man had toddled back to his chair and looked at Link expectantly. Inwardly reminding himself that the fastest way to be rid of the man was to find out what he wanted, Link calmly set the tray on the table and began serving the tea.

"You wished to speak with me?" Link prompted when the man showed no sign he would begin the conversation.

The Duke took a loud sip of his tea before he spoke. "I do." Then he took a bite of a tea cake and frowned. "Really, how can you abide such paltry crumbs? The food in Termina is far superior."

Link felt something in the back of his mind snap. "With all due respect," Link growled through his teeth, "the Princess sent a special envoy to pull me away from my training because you refused to tell anyone else what it was you wanted. I arrive to find you annoying the Princess and abusing the staff. I did not come all this way to talk about cookies with you. Now tell me why I have been dragged across Hyrule or leave!"

"How dare you!" the Duke roared, but he seemed to have better judgment than to raise his fist against Link. "I am the Duke of Termina, Keeper of the Scrolls, Holder of the Sacred Keys, and Watcher of the Great Clock! How dare a mere knight speak against me." He snatched up his book and snapped it shut. "I will speak with you when I am ready. Until then you will wait for my summons, knight!"

Link watched in slack-jawed astonishment as the elderly man flounced away across the garden. When he had vanished back into the castle, the servant girl reappeared around one of the bushes. "Karina?" Link asked as she began cleaning up the tea tray. "Has he been hitting you?"

She winced guiltily. "Yes, but it doesn't hurt. He just seems to back off if I make show that it does."

"Have you told the Princess about this?" He asked, trying to stamp down the anger, afraid he would scare her.

"It isn't important." She shook her head. "Like I said, it doesn't hurt."

"I don't care, it will stop," Link growled as he pushed up from the table. After a moment's thought he took a few cakes off the plate. "And I don't care what the old buzzard says, your tea cakes are delicious." She blushed.

Link found Sheik in one of the rooms they had trained in before the battle with Ganon. The sight made him raise an eyebrow. Standing before him were three children all around age ten, all dressed exactly like Sheik, complete with their own scarves hiding the lower half of their faces. Then they spotted him.

"Intruder!" one of the children yelled, and all three launched themselves at him. Sheik, turned as well, but made no move to stop the kids. Link was amused to see them pull tiny, wooden swords on him and raise them over their heads.

In one smooth motion, Link took the sword from the first kid in a single yank, before easily sweeping his foot into the back of the kid's legs, sending him to the ground. Turning, he caught the other two kids mid-charge and picked them up.

"I can see what Zelda meant by a public nuisance," Link snorted, as the two kids in his arms struggled in vain to get away.

"How dare you speak of the princess in such a way!" The boy on the ground yelled as he began to rise. Link rolled his eyes and placed his foot on the kid's chest, keeping him down. "Sheik, I think you are losing your touch."

"Not everyone needs your vertical learning curve."

Link snorted. "Excuses, excuses. You just liked beating me with sticks."

Sheik grinned behind his scarf. "Well, yes, that was fun too. Now can you release my students, or do I need to give you another beating?"

"Heh." Link laughed as he released the kids. "At least now I know why you've been hassling me about marriage. You want kids so bad you swiped some off the streets and dressed them like yourself."

Sheik glared at him before turning back to the kids. "So what did you learn from that experience?"

"Never attack the Hero of Hyrule," one boy said.

"Always attack as one and from different directions," another added.

"Don't fight people bigger than you," the last, a girl, added.

"All good points, but no," Sheik answered. "Full frontal assaults rarely work. If they can see you coming, they can counter. Now it's almost dinnertime, go wash up while I talk to Link." They all nodded and hurried off.

"Cute kids." Link sighed.

"With time, maybe they will be good enough to be the Royal Family's personal guards," Sheik said as he rubbed his shoulder. "I can't do it alone anymore."

"Why not?"

"Tired. Besides, more eyes are always better. So how did it go?"

"If I killed him, would you help me hide the body?"

"You have to ask?" Sheik laughed. "I'll help you kill the old blowhard if you are really game. What did he want anyway?"

"Don't know," Link confessed. "He tried to dismiss me as a servant twice, abused Karina, then threw a tantrum and left when I didn't want to argue about the quality of the tea cakes."

Sheik stared at him. "Are you serious...?"

"Yes, I am. Is Termina a real place or is this guy just a complete loon looking for a handout?"

"Termina's a real place." Sheik sighed. "You can reach it if you go through the right Lost Door. But that doesn't keep the guy from being a loon. Have you talked to Zelda yet?" Link shook his head. Sheik rubbed his chin. "The Duke should be dining with us. Let's see what happen over dinner and go from there." Link nodded in agreement.

Link could smell the food before they even entered the dining hall. Zelda always had the staff make exotic foods when he visited the castle; saying he should experience as much of the world as he could since she never knew what she might need him to do. Today the food smelled savory and spicy as it wafted through the hall.

He and Sheik entered the room together to find Zelda already seated at the table with the Duke. She gave them brief, pleading eyes, but the old man favored them with a deeply disapproving glare. "State your business and be gone. We do not need servants cluttering our space."

"Oh, you made a real impression on him, Hero," Sheik whispered. Link huffed in reply. With all the grace and dignity he could muster, Link swept around the table and took his seat next to Zelda. Sheik followed and sat next to him.

"Perhaps, sir, you were misinformed, but I am not, nor have I ever been, a servant. I am the Herald of the Goddesses and the Hero of Hyrule. It is not my place to serve the interests of the Royal Family alone, but to do what is best for all of Hyrule in accordance to the will of the Goddesses. Now, as I said before, you can explain to me why I have been dragged away from my training."

"You impudent little–"

"Shut up," Link said, slamming his hands down on the table as he rose. "You may have found it easy to bully the servants, but as I have already said, I am not one. If you wish my help, you will be civil. And if I have find out you have abused any servant in this castle, I will break your arm."

"And you stand for this sort of behavior?" the Duke asked Zelda. "Surely you have more control than this?" Link felt like banging his head against the table.

"As Link said," Zelda replied evenly, "he is not my servant. I have no more control over his actions than I have over the wind."

"You have until the food hits my plate to tell me what you want, or I am going home," Link said in a flat tone as he sat back down.

The Duke gave a long-suffered sigh. "It seems I have been stripped of all options. I had hoped the Hero of Hyrule would be a more nimble and respectable noble rather than and impudent waif. I suppose beggars must not be choosers." Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the Duke spoke, willing himself not to strangle him where he sat. "I will try to talk slowly, so that even in your limited capacity you can follow along."

"Thanks," Link said mildly.

"Really, Hero, just say the word," Sheik growled under his breath, knowing only Link could pick it up.

"You see, many years ago, in my land, a thief stole into a temple and snatched an article of cultural significance and escaped with it. He claimed it was too dangerous an item for the public to have access to. The thief was part of a cult who believed the item was an earth-bound deity, and was clearly quite mad. When he was finally captured, he would only say it was safe. But through years of painstaking research, I have traced his steps to this land. But, while my mind is unrivaled–"

Sheik coughed, sounding oddly like the word "unraveled."

"I am getting on in years. I need a young, strong back to retrieve it."

"You dragged me all this way for...that?" Link asked incredulously, then threw his hands up. "You know what, I don't care. If I get this thing back for you, will you leave Hyrule?"

"Instantaneously and without regret."

"You have a deal. What is this thing I'm looking for and where do I find it?"

"Excellent!" The old man clapped his hands.

At that moment the food arrived. The first course was a rich, potato-based soup. The Duke fluttered his hand at the server as soon as the food was before him. Then he hunched over his bowl, much as he had been with his book earlier, and began to slowly spoon the soup into his mouth with great slurping sounds.

"You were saying..." Link prompted when it did not appear he would continue talking.

The Duke looked up at him with a disapproving glare. "It is rude to speak while you eat, boy!"

Sheik sighed. "One step forward, two steps back." It took two more courses and an hour to draw out the information they needed from the Duke. By the time they had all the details, it was dark. The Duke took his leave, all the while admonishing them for keeping him up late, and how he would now sleep late, and it would throw off his whole routine. They all muttered half-hearted apologies before heading to bed themselves.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Masquerade**_

_Chapter 2_

The next morning, Link awoke to the sound of his door being opened. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the woman backing into the room. When she finally turned around, Link recognized the matronly head cook. She was carrying a breakfast tray piled high with biscuits, a fluffy mound of scrambled eggs smothered in melted cheese, two thick slabs of ham, a glass each of milk and orange juice, and a gravy boat brimming with thick cream gravy. Link raised an eyebrow as she took no notice of the fact he was shirtless and set the tray across his lap.

"Maria, what is this?"

"I made you a special breakfast," she announced. "I heard what you did for Karina. We are all very grateful. That man needed to be put in his place."

"You're welcome." Link nodded. She smiled, patted his hand and left the room. Breaking open a biscuit, he smiled to see the puff of steam rise before he dipped it in the gravy and took a bite. There was something magical about Maria's cooking. He swore she mixed potions and fairy dust into the food, because he could never think of anything more delicious.

By the time Sheik came to drag him down to breakfast, he had finished almost half the food. Sheik raised an eyebrow at the amount of food still piled on Link's plate. "Are you going to finish that?"

"Want to, but too full," Link sighed happily.

"Good." Sheik grinned. "Go get ready and I'll clean that up for you." Link laughed as he handed the tray to Sheik and got out of bed. He went to wash his face and get dressed as the older man lounged, scooping up the remaining eggs, savoring the last of the meat, and mopping up the last drop of gravy.

"So what did you do to make Maria happy?" Sheik asked as he gulped the last of the milk.

"I kept the Duke from hitting Karina." Sheik choked. "And told him I'd break his arm if I found out he did it again."

"He's been hitting the staff?"

Link turned and nodded. "Karina said she didn't tell because it didn't hurt. I don't know if he hit anyone else."

"He won't after today. I'll assign the biggest man I can find to watch him day and night," Sheik growled.

"How about what's-his-name, the one who is in love Karina?" Link suggested as he pulled his armor from the wardrobe and packed it into his pouch. "I'm sure he'd jump at the chance."

Sheik snickered. "We want him watched, not beaten to death,"

Link shook his head and decided to change the subject. "So do you really think this thing exists? Or are we going to end up on a wild goose chase?"

Sheik rolled his shoulders. "Hard to say. It's not unheard of for other cultures to worship their own deities. The Zora have Jabu-jabu and the Ruto have their dragon god. But whether the item is actually here in Hyrule or not, I don't know."

"You think he'll tell us where to look today?"

Sheik smiled. "Oh, he will. Because if he doesn't, I'll kill him and the damned thing can stay lost forever for all I care."

They found the Duke once again in the garden, hunched over his book. As they approached, he fluttered his hand at them and muttered something under his breath. Sheik snatched his book away. The Duke rose in a fury, but Sheik glared him into submission. "We are done playing your game. So here are the new rules. You tell us where this thing is, we go and get it, and you leave. In the meantime, you will not harass Zelda or any of the staff. If you do, you will be going home without your artifact. Is that in any way unclear?"

The Duke's face turned red, then purple as he began to tremble with rage. "How dare–"

"If you want to call my bluff, finish that sentence," Sheik reprimanded.

"He doesn't bluff," Link advised. "I have the scars to prove it. Look, we just want to help. Won't you be happier once you are back in Termina? You'll have the food you like, your own bed, all your research materials. Isn't that better than staying in this strange land? So why not help us help you?" He took a seat across from the Duke and gave him his best smile. "What do you say?"

The Duke glared at him, then at Sheik, in a manner meant to intimidate. Neither man backed down. "So be it, I will bend before your barbarian tactics, but only because I see I lack a choice in the matter. Suffice to say that had a guest of mine been treated with such audacity and disrespect, I would have had the servants flogged until all urges of such impudence abandoned them."

"Yeah, yeah, just tell us what you know," Sheik huffed.

"I fear I cannot yet yield much information. I have not acquired adequate geological or geographical mappings of this kingdom to decipher the thief's cryptic last words. A prospect that will be accomplished much faster were you to return my manuscript to me."

"We know this kingdom pretty well," Link assured. "And between the two of us, there aren't many places we haven't been. So tell us the last words and let us worry about it."

The Duke gave them a very superior look and pressed his lips into a thin line. "So be it. He claimed to have hidden the artifact deep in the mobile plain where the land and sky are one. As best I can figure, it is likely either your Death Mountain or Lake Hylia, for they are the only possible places where land and sky can truly meet in even the most abstract fashion."

"We'll take it into consideration," Sheik shrugged and tossed the Duke's book back on the table.

As Link got up, he smiled at the Duke. "I have also arranged for you to have your own, personal servant who will see to all your needs. Jarrell." A large man lumbered into the garden, smiling in a way that was far too amused. "Now you won't have to bother anyone else while you stay and no one will bother you. Enjoy!"

The two men left the Duke in the garden looking quite put out. They made their way back through the castle, heading for the stables. A page met them with their horses already saddled and packed to go.

"So where are we headed, Hero?"

Link sighed. "Not a clue. Let's start with Death Mountain and see what the Gorons know. At least it's a starting point." Sheik nodded.

They made their way down the path that led from the castle to Castle Town. The guard at the gate saw them coming, and quickly let them pass, saluting as they did. By the time they arrived in town, it was clear that the word had spread. People lined the streets, all other activities put on a back burner. Children sat on their parents' shoulders or leaned out from behind their legs, stall owners stood on their stools so they could see without leaving their wares unguarded, and shop owners stood in their doorways.

Sheik smiled behind his scarf as he dropped his horse back half a length and let Link lead the way. The crowd cheered as they came down the street, and a blizzard of flower petals rained down from windows above. Shouts of "good luck" and "may the Goddesses be with you" rang in the air as bells in the temple tolled.

Then, above the din of the crowd, rose the high, excited screams of several young women. They all stood in a huddled mass, waving frantically as Link passed. Link smiled and dipped his head in a small bow, which created another high pitched squeal of delight from the group. Link's ears rang from the sound, but he smiled at them again anyway as he moved on.

When they had finally passed the impromptu parade ground, Sheik came back even with Link, who gave him a withering glare. "Somehow, I know you are responsible for that."

Sheik looked at him with large eyes. "Hero, what a thing to say. Your loyal fans take time out of their busy lives to see you off on your newest adventure, and you act as if it was all a charade to embarrass you."

"And the whole town just so happened to know when we were leaving and what road we would take out of town. How very convenient." Link snorted.

"Don't let them hear you say that, Hero. Your fans probably stood there for hours, maybe days, waiting for you to begin your adventure so they could cheer you to victory."

"Pardon me." A small voice interrupted Link's response. Both men turned in their saddles to see the girl from the bakery standing by the drawbridge, a large basket in hand. She blushed and smiled shyly as she stepped towards them and continued. "I heard you were on your way to help the Duke of Termina find something...and I thought you might like some bread and pastries to take with you." Her blush deepened as she lifted the basket to Link.

Smiling he took it. "Thank you."

"I made them all from my family's secret Traveler's Bread recipe. They will stay fresh much longer than any other baked good you could find. I have to get back to the shop, have a safe trip." And with that she hurried away.

"I think she likes you," Sheik cooed as she vanished from sight.

"She didn't scream or swoon," Link replied, motioning in the general direction they had come from. "That puts her one up on that lot back there." Sheik gave a bark of laughter as Link carefully packed up the food and put it into the saddle bag. The basket he stored in his pouch, to return when he passed through town again.

Outside the gates they turned towards Death Mountain. The highest mountain in Hyrule, its summit was often hidden by clouds. But despite the fact its shadow could be cast all the way to Castle town, it was still several days ride just to reach the base, then they would have to climb up to meet with the Gorons.

Link glanced at Sheik, whose face was drawn into an expression of distinct distaste. "You don't have to go with me," he said mildly. "I'm all caught up on my politics and won't cut myself on my own sword, you know."

Sheik's features relaxed a bit and he shook his head. "No, Hero, I don't have to come with you. But I want to." He grinned. "You make life interesting."

They did not get far that day, since they left late in the morning, and were soon making camp in the open plains of Hyrule Field. They lit a small fire for light as the sun sank below the horizon and had a light supper of the fresh bread and some cured ham. They shared a comfortable silence through the night exchanging stories of their time apart, each more exaggerated than the last.

"...and then– " Link froze mid-sentence and sat up.

Sheik laughed. "Forget what lie you were telling?" Link glared at him and put his finger to his lips. Sheik frowned and mouthed the word "what?" Link shook his head and motioned in the direction just off to his left. Sheik stretched, craning his neck as he did to peer into the darkness. With only a sliver of the moon it was almost pitch black beyond the small ring of light cast by their fire. Relaxing, the older man gave a slight shake of his head.

With a small nod, Link rose to a low crouch and turned to peer out over the tall grass. Though there was precious little moonlight, his eyes still cut through the darkness to pick out two hulking figures. Each stood about seven feet tall and moved with a stuttered, lumbering gate. The wind shifted and brought the distinct, rotting odor of moblin. He glanced a Sheik and the look on his face confirmed that he could smell it as well.

"Don't do anything rash," Sheik said as he tried to breathe through his mouth. "We are downwind and I don't want to smell that all night." Link grinned, but kept his attention on the two figures.

Moblin were many things, but sneaky was not one of them. The two grew louder as they stumbled closer, perhaps hoping to scare the two Hyrulians away. When they were within fifty feet of the camp, and it was clear they were not going to move away, Link rose to his feet.

The Master Sword sang as he slid it from its sheath. The sacred blade reflected the light from the fire with its mirror bright surface, making the sword appear to glow in the darkness. The two moblin squealed and charged. Link said nothing as he darted forward and easily sliced through the first pig's crude armor, before slashing the creature from shoulder to hip.

He spun on one foot, catching the second moblin's club with his shield before removing its head in a single clean stroke.

"Smooth, Hero," Sheik complimented as he came to stand next to the younger man. "Very quick, very clean, no wasted movement, no hesitation. You've come a long way from the frightened, angry farm boy."

Link wiped the blood from his blade as he nodded. "Thanks." He slid the sword back into its sheath. "Kind of odd to find a pair of moblin this far from the swamps."

Sheik shrugged. "Yeah. But not unheard of. Let's move camp, I'm not going to sleep with these things nearby."

Link nodded and whistled for the horses, who had made themselves scarce at the moblin's approach. It was not until they were atop the horses, that they realized they were surrounding. In the dim light more moblin lumbered out of the tall grass in all directions, some riding their large boar mounts, some on foot.

"By the Goddesses..." Sheik whispered. "What is going on?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to stick around to find out," Link replied. Spinning the horses towards Kakariko village, they spurred them into a gallop. A horn cried at their backs and the thunder of cloven hooves shook the ground.

Link turned in his saddle. A small army of bokoblin raced past the moblin atop boars. Each boar carried a pair of the smaller creatures, one holding the reins and one wielding a weapon. Several had bows and arrows, but a few were also armed with tiny axes or swords.

Link swore and pulled out his own bow and notched an arrow. He shoved magic into the head and released the shaft. Golden light poured over the field, revealing the army before it struck one of the moblin riders, knocking him clear of his mount. Sheik gave a low whistle.

"I don't think we can outmaneuver that many, Hero."

Link notched another arrow. "Then we have only one option." This time the arrowhead turned pale blue and steam began to rise. It released with a twang, striking the ground directly in front of the advancing riders. The ground instantly began shimmering in the moonlight, and when the boars hit the patch they began slipping and crashing into each other. The bokoblin behind began notching their own arrows

"Wind!" Sheik shouted as he raised both hands. A wall of solid air rushed past them just as the tiny shafts took flight. The small arrows had no chance and were tossed like toothpicks. Several of the bokoblin where blown from their mounts, and even some of the moblin on foot were picked up and tossed about.

As the wind died away the mounted moblin charged, leaping over the fallen boars as they raised their battle axes. Both men drew their swords and charged into the fray. It was more of a melee then a battle. The two Hyrulians cut blindly through the army, causing more chaos than harm on the whole. For every moblin they cut down, two more seemed to appear. Bokoblin arrows rained down around them.

"This isn't working!" Link shouted as he pulled Nightfire around. "There are too many."

"How about Plan C?" Sheik replied before calling up a wave of fire to push back a group of moblin. Link sliced through another bokoblin, before putting his heels to Nightfire's side and racing off into the night. Sheik joined him as Link sheathed his sword and turned in his saddle. He opened his hand, fingers spread. In a blink, what appeared to be a dozen fireflies floated from his palm, swooping lazily towards the army.

"Cover your eyes," Link warned as he turned away and hunched down over Nightfire's neck. "LIGHT!" The fireflies exploded towards the moblin and bokoblin, turning night into day. Anything near the blasts was instantly vaporized, while everything that survived was blinded by the bright flash. Even Link felt a little dazzled, despite expecting it and having his eyes well hidden.

The explosion bought them time and distance, but not reprieve. As soon as the creatures had collected themselves, they were on their trail again. The boars, while heavy and awkward, were faster than they looked and could easily keep pace with a horse if driven hard enough.

Soon the two horses were blowing hard and in need of rest. Link and Sheik slipped behind a cliff near a stream and dismounted. Both animals rushed to the water's edge and began to gorge on the liquid. While Sheik waited with the horses, Link slid along the edge of the cliff to peer around at the field beyond.

It was getting close to dawn and pale pink light was beginning to peek over the horizon. It allowed him to make out the army as it milled, seemingly without direction, some distance off. "We've lost them for now, I think," Link said quietly.

"This is definitely not right," Sheik said, as he pulled down his scarf and cupped water into his mouth. Link followed suit.

"Do you think they know about the artifact as well?" Link asked as he stood and took some rations from the saddle bag, passing some to Sheik.

"Possibly," he agreed. "But they aren't much for intelligence. If they are looking for it, they have a leader controlling them."

"Like last time..."

"May the Goddesses have mercy on us all."

They got precious little sleep over the next few days, as they fought or ducked the moblin and bokoblin. When they reached the Kakuriko village entrance, they discovered it had been barred with heavy metal siege gates. Fortunately, the guards saw them coming and opened the gates to let them pass.

Link tilted his head back to look up at Death Mountain as they crossed the threshold into Kakariko village. He had not been back here since the night they ran away from Thorvald and the well. The village had recovered from the dragon attack, but little else had changed. Thorvald's mansion loomed in the back of the village, and cozy homes with small corrals or tiny coops sat in the front.

As in Castle Town, the residents cheered and waved as he passed. Caru and the innkeeper met them at the door to the inn. A boy took their horses as they dismounted and the robust woman shooed them inside.

"It's good to see you again, sweetie. I'll make you two some lunch." In short order she had bowls of her stew and cool mugs of milk set out for them. "Eat up; I made a nice cake for dessert." They dug into the stew without a word. During their mad flight they had had very little time to stop for a proper meal. As soon as the stew was gone and they had sopped up the last of the juice with some bread, thick slabs of chocolate cake appeared before them.

"Bless you both for coming," Caru said, wiping her hands on her apron. "We weren't sure if our messages had reached the castle or not."

Link swallowed the bite of cake in his mouth, washing it down with milk, before he replied. "We actually came to see the Gorons. What is going on?"

"Then it must truly be a blessing of the Goddesses that you are here," Caru smiled. "I wish I could tell you, but I'm just a cook at an inn. All I know is gossip."

"It's more than we know," Sheik added.

"Well, the moblin started appearing about a week ago." She sighed and sat down in a chair. "No one seems to know why, but there are a lot of theories. Since then, it just seems to be getting worse. We sent messages to the castle, but got no replies."

"I don't think the messages ever made it," Sheik said with a frown, then shook his head. "Do you have any rooms for rent? It was a nightmare getting here, and we are going to need some sleep before we can work this out." Link nodded in agreement.

"A lot of travelers are stuck here," she answered. "But I have one room left if you don't mind sharing."

"Not a problem."

Caru showed them the room, which fortunately had two beds, though they were small. Despite it only being late afternoon, both men fell into bed and were asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Masquerade**_

_Chapter 3_

Link and Sheik stood on the cliff overlooking the Kakariko entrance. In the distance they could see the groups of moblin wandering about in Hyrule Field in odd, random patterns. As they watched, the groups moved farther and farther away from the village, spreading out as they went as if to wander away. Then, as if some force were keeping them near, they all abruptly began to wander back.

"What are they doing?" Link asked.

"Don't know," a guard answered. "They do this all, every day, since they arrived."

"It's weird," Sheik said with a shake of his head. "It's like something is keeping them here."

"But to what end?" Link asked.

"No idea, Hero. No one I know likes moblin, and even those who feel sympathy for the poor, dumb things, don't really want them around."

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "I guess Zelda will have to put up with the Duke a bit longer. We can't leave Kakariko like this."

Sheik blew out a frustrated breath. "No, we can't." They stood there with the guards for a while longer, watching as the tide of moblin ebbed and flowed. Finally, they made their way back down to the village. Several of the villagers stopped their work to watch the two men pass, hope in their eyes.

"Let's look at this logically," Sheik offered as they walked. "Moblin are fairly simple creatures. They want food and power – as much as they can get on both counts."

"But there isn't enough food to eat in the area, at least not enough to sustain such a large group. So they are after...power?" Link made a face. "Here? In Kakariko?" He frowned. "Maybe the Duke is right, maybe it is here."

"If he is right, I'm telling him we found it in the desert," Sheik groused. "I refuse to give that jackass the satisfaction of being right."

Link laughed. "So the plan hasn't changed. We still need to talk to Big Brother Haldor."

"Maybe you'll get to fight Berk this time." Sheik grinned. "He'd like that."

Link rolled his eyes and continued. "If nothing else, the Goron would be a big help if it comes to a fight."

They returned to the inn and told Caru and her husband of their plan. The couple agreed to spread the word and watch their horses while they were away. They quickly packed, and headed back downstairs. They had not taken more than a few steps outside the inn when a red and gold carriage pulled up. Both men swore.

The carriage pulled to a stop and the door swung open. Thorvald stepped out. He still dressed in the colors of his status, complete with overly dramatic cape. The noble looked down his nose at them in distaste.

Sheik made a disparaging comment. Thorvald glared at him, but addressed Link. "So you are abandoning us to the moblin? How very heroic of you."

"Drop dead," Sheik huffed and pushed past him.

Thorvald grabbed him as he went past. "Don't you dare–" Sheik reacted violently to the touch, throwing his arm up and slamming his elbow into the man's chin. Thorvald reeled, stumbling back into the carriage, his nose and mouth bleeding.

"Don't touch me! Ever!"

Link watched wide-eyed as Sheik stormed off. Thorvald leaned against the carriage holding his bleeding mouth, and Link hurried after Sheik. He started to grab his shoulder, then thought better of it. "Are you... okay?"

Sheik's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Fine, Hero. I just don't like him touching me." Link nodded absently, and did not speak again until they had passed the gate and were beginning to ascend Death Mountain Trail. "What...what did they do to you?"

Sheik stopped and looked at him, his face expressionless. Link took a step back. Then without a word, Sheik turned and kept walking, his steps clipped and quick. Letting out a breath he had not known he was holding, Link followed but kept a safe distance.

"Do you really want to know or are you just being nosy?" Sheik finally snapped. He turned sharply on his heel to glare at Link.

Hyrule's Hero straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. There were many things he'd rather face than an angry Sheik, but he was not ready to let the older man know that. "I want to know."

Sheik narrowed his eyes. "Just remember, Hero, you asked for it." Link resisted the urge to retreat as Sheik approached him. Very calmly, Sheik reached out and grabbed Link's hand, then spun and twisted his arm up along his spine. Link's wrist, elbow, and shoulder all turned as far as they would go and when his body tried to follow to relieve the pressure, Sheik stopped. The discomfort quickly gave way to pain and Link began to struggle to get away. Sheik held firm. "Now imagine staying like this while they eat, knowing the only thing going in your mouth is the cloth they shoved in there so you wouldn't scream. That's what it started with anyway."

He abruptly released his hold, and Link stumbled away rubbing his aching joints. "He... did that...often?" Link panted.

"As often as I pissed him off," Sheik said flatly. "Whenever I didn't play the good little devoted son or when I wouldn't take Meredith's crap. Sometimes I think he just did it to prove he could. And that was when I was still a kid; the older I got, the worse things they had to do." Sheik let out a long breath and softened. "I didn't hurt you, did I, Hero?"

Link rubbed his shoulder and shook his head. "You've done worse. Though I think I prefer my regular beatings. At least that way I can fight back."

Sheik chuckled and shook his head. "All right, Hero, I'll be sure you are beaten regularly." Link made a rude gesture.

"Brother Link!" Haldor roared happily as he slapped the Hyrulian on the back. Link winced when he struck the sore shoulder, but kept smiling. "And Brother Sheik!" The large Goron turned and patted him on the back in the same friendly manner. "You don't visit enough! Come in, come in, we will celebrate!"

"We don't have time for that, Big Brother Haldor," Link said before the Goron could bully them inside. "Kakariko is under siege by moblin and they need your help."

Haldor rested his chin in his massive hand and looked a bit perplexed. "This is the first I have heard of it. Why did Kakariko not ask for help sooner? Are we Goron not friends?"

"Thorvald does not like to admit he needs help," Sheik assured. "He's just being stubborn."

"There is more," Link went on before Haldor could speak. "There is a man at the palace who is looking for an artifact. He says it was stolen from his kingdom and hidden in Hyrule. The only clue he had was that the artifact was hidden where the 'earth meets the sky.'"

Haldor nodded his large head. "I will think on that. For now, we must deal with these moblin. Let us round up the other Goron." He gestured for them to follow and both men complied. The Goron city was just as Link remembered it, though a few new tunnels had been added. Haldor lead them through several tunnels so they emerged on the bottommost floor of the amphitheater-style city.

"Brothers! Sisters!" Haldor shouted, allowing the shape of the city to carry his voice so that everyone could hear. All the Goron's stopped what they were doing and gave him their attention. "Brother Link and Brother Sheik bring us grave news. It seems the Hyrulians of Kakariko are being attacked by moblin. Who among you will fight beside our Brothers and friends?" All over the city, Gorons raised their arms and cheered. The sound was deafening and it took a great deal of willpower to keep Link from covering his ears.

"Come, Brothers!" Haldor continued. "Let us take the fast track down the mountain!" All the Goron's cheered again and surged toward the exit.

"The fast track?" Link hedged. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Sheik smiled and shrugged. "Remember when we went sledding on Snowpeak?" Link nodded. "It's like that, only don't fall this time. It will hurt a lot more."

"Thanks for the tip," Link growled as they followed the Gorons.

Outside, the Goron had gathered at the edge of the mountain slope that looked down over the village below. Haldor stood with them holding two slabs of smooth rock, which he handed to the Hyrulians as soon as they approached. "Lead the way, Brothers."

"Just like on Snowpeak," Sheik said quietly. "Lower your center of gravity and don't lean too far in any one direction." Link nodded and set his slab on the edge of the slope; Sheik did the same to his right. Crouching low, he set his foot towards the front of the slab and shifted his weight. The slab tilted down, hit the side of the mountain with a dull thud, and began to slide on the loose gravel. Link leaned forward more, picking up speed. He glanced to his right to see Sheik following close beside him.

Behind them there was a great cheer and then a sound like an avalanche. Link looked back, to see the Gorons roll themselves in balls and launch themselves over the edge to roll like boulders down the mountainside. Link swore as the first living boulder shot past them, seemingly out of control, followed by another. Soon the Gorons were rolling past them on all sides, and despite what seemed to be an uncontrolled plunge, they never came even within a few feet of either Hyrulians.

Link grinned wildly. After the sheer terror passed, it was a lot of fun. Wind whipped his face, threatening to steal his hat, and he leaned down and forward to increase his speed. He heard Sheik's whoop as they raced down the slope, all the while, massive Gorons dodged around them.

As the slope flattened out, Link stood upright, slowing his speed as Sheik did the same. They finally slid to a stop only a few yards from the village edge. The Gorons who had arrived ahead of them were already greeting the villagers.

"Let us not delay, Brothers and Sisters. There is work to be done!" Haldor called, and the Goron responded in kind. Link and Sheik hurried to the front of the group to walk with Haldor as the group moved toward Hyrule Field.

A group of Thorvald's guards stood by the gate, and Link set his jaw and drew his sword. But the guards did not try to stop them, and instead joined them as the siege gates were opened and the impromptu army poured into the field. In the afternoon sun, Moblin began to turn and head towards them, a lumbering horde that took up the entire horizon.

Link raised his sword, the mirror-bright surface reflecting the sun and seeming to glow, and waited. The moblin came closer. A mournful horn cried over the plains and mounted bokoblin and moblin appeared as well, charging as they raised their weapons.

Link dropped his sword arm and the Gorons and guards surged forward. The Gorons rolled into balls and charged across the ground, spinning up dirt and grass in their wake. They slammed into the boars like a nine pins. The animals squealed and crashed into each other, slinging their riders to the ground, where they were crushed by their falling mounts or passing Gorons. Link cringed at the strange crushing pop the pig-like creatures made as they were squelched.

With the Gorons clearing the way, the Hyrulian's charged in, stabbing and slicing what few bokoblin and moblin escaped the Gorons and their own mounts. But the Gorons rolling assault could only last so long. Soon they ran out of momentum and uncurled to their feet, going to work with their massive fists.

Link ignored them as a large moblin charged him, its crude sword raised to strike. He caught the jarring blow on his shield, before slicing with his sword and gutting the monster in a single swing. He turned to see a group of bokoblin surrounding some guards, and charged in, The Master Sword flashing. Blood sprayed into the air as he cut down the little goblins before they saw him coming.

A flash of blue at the corner of his eye drew his attention to Sheik, as the older man beheaded a Moblin before turning in mid-air and slicing the arm off another. A Goron slammed the now one armed Moblin to the ground and crushed its skull with one punch.

The squeal of another moblin caught his attention and Link returned to the fight. He lost track of how many moblin and bokoblin he killed, where Sheik was, or how long the battle lasted. But by the time the remains of the moblin army was in retreat, his green tunic had been stained black with blood. Specks of red dotted his face and his pants were beyond salvation, and both his arms were tired and hung heavily at his sides.

Breathing hard, he watched as the last of the moblin vanished over the hills before turning to survey the damage. Among the bodies of moblin, bokoblin, and boar were several of Kakariko's guards, and he picked out a couple of Goron that had also fallen. The contrast in reactions of the two groups was amazing.

The Hyulians gathered their dead with somber faces, bringing blankets to cover and wrap the bodies before they were moved. Women wept for fallen husbands, sons, and brothers; while their comrades spoke of their bravery.

The Gorons sang. With their gravelly voices, Link expected the sound to be grating. Instead it came out as a low rumbling melody, a song of courage and brotherhood. There were no tears, only joy. It was an honor to die in battle for a good cause.

"Have you never seen a Goron die before?"

Link looked away to see that Sheik had appeared next to him. His left bicep was bleeding from a bad wound, but he had made a field bandage with a few strips of cloth. "No," Link replied, shaking his head. "At least not that I remember."

"There is no greater honor to them than to die for a friend." He nodded towards the dead Gorons and those gathered around them. "Their story will exist in legend for decades to come."

"Better to be praised than mourned, I guess."

Sheik nodded. "Come on, Hero. We made a mess, time to clean it up." Together the two moved through the battlegrounds. Sheik picked a spot out of the way of the village, but still close by, and they began moving moblin and bokoblin bodies. It was slow work. The moblin were big and heavy, even those with missing parts took both of them to move. The grass, what had not been torn to bits in the melee, was slippery with blood and made getting traction difficult.

When the guards and Goron finished with their dead, they began to help. As the sun was setting, they finally had piled all the bodies in a single place and everyone stepped away. Sheik raised his hand and called forth flames in the form of several small spheres. They splashed across bodies, quickly igniting the fabric of their clothes and fur and spreading, before sinking its white hot fangs into the flesh.

Sheik assigned two guards who knew magic to keep watch over the pyre so it did not spread out of control before they all trudged, exhausted, back to Kakariko. Everyone was still awake, waiting anxiously to greet the returning heroes. Bottles of water and milk were handed out and many people offered their homes to Gorons for the night. The Goron declined politely and headed back up Death Mountain, Haldor promising to return in the morning.

Caru greeted Link and Sheik at the inn door with bottles of warm milk. She wiped the blood from their faces with her apron like a mother would clean a smudge of dirt from a child's face, and showed them to the bathing room. A large tub of water was already steaming and waiting for them. Both young men happily stripped and slipped into the water to scrub the grime and gore and sweat of battle off their skin.

By the time they were clean, there was no point in trying to soak, as the water had taken on a slightly pink tinge. Caru had taken their clothes while they bathed and had replaced them with soft cotton robes. Without ceremony, they wrapped the robes around themselves and headed for bed; only to find trays of hot food waiting for them. It was one of the quietest meals they had ever shared; neither spoke as they ravaged the bread, stew, and milk. Setting their cleaned trays near the door, both crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Link woke the next morning wishing he could have slept more. Still tired, he rolled over, but it did no good. Sunlight was pouring in the curtainless windows and the sounds of day in a busy village filled the air. Yawning he sat up and stretched, seeing Sheik doing the same. Their trays had vanished and in their place were their clean clothes. Link noted that she had not returned his pants and wrote them off as a total lose as he dug an extra pair from his pouch. He was glad to see his boots had made a reasonable recovery, though they still had some dark marks on them.

Dressed, they headed downstairs, and were greeted in the dining room by a mob of villagers. There was much cheering and back patting before Caru herded them to a quiet corner for breakfast.

"Will there be anything left?" Link asked abruptly.

"Hmmm?" Sheik asked without lifting his head as he hunched over his plate.

"The moblin, will they still be there?"

Sheik pulled up his scarf as he straightened, chewing thoughtfully on his last bite. "Probably. There were too many to burn in one night."

Link nodded absently, pushing his last bite of biscuit around in the egg yolks before popping it into his mouth. "Do you think we should wait for Haldor here or outside?"

Sheik snorted. "I think our host would prefer we wait outside. Gorons aren't really Hyrulian home friendly." Link nodded and they left the inn. The morning sun shone brightly in the cerulean sky, marred only by a thin trail of black smoke wafting heavenward. Around them, the village was alive as people begin their daily routines. Shopkeepers opened their doors and street vendors laid out their wares. Cuccos crowed and cows mooed. Carts hauling milk and other goods rattled down the roads towards the town market.

The only thing out of place was a procession of Hyrulians, all clad in black, heading towards the graveyard. They followed several carts that had been painted black and draped in black cloth. Link looked away. "Those people shouldn't have died."

Sheik sat down in the grass under a tree and stretched out his legs. "Why is that, Hero?"

"They did not have to fight," Link pointed out as he took a seat as well. "I'm the Hero of Hyrule. It's my job to keep people safe."

"You can't fight every battle alone, Hero. And you can't expect people not to fight when they feel it is the right thing to do." Sheik leaned back and closed his eyes. "We went to Haldor seeking advice on a powerful item that might be attracting them, so we could get rid of it. We came down the mountain with a Goron army. No one ordered those soldiers to join in, they chose to. They all chose their fate. Besides, you can't be everywhere at once. If people think you will always appear when they need you, it will breed complacency. Better they fight and a few die, then they wait for salvation and all die."

Link plucked a blade of grass and rolled it between his fingers. "Have I ever told you about when I met the Goddesses?"

Sheik opened an eye in interest, but his voice remand casual. "No, you never really talked much about it."

Link furrowed his brow. "One thing they said is that I will one day choose not to save Hyrule. I can't imagine doing nothing while people suffer."

Sheik looked up at the leaves in the trees, and at first Link did not think he would answer. After a while he spoke. "My father once told me that for all things there is a season and nothing lasts forever. I've seen many men become soldiers in my time. Most of them enter in with big dreams of medals and honors, that they will be the Captain of the Guards and right hand to the Princess. Some even had aspirations of winning her heart in the process.

"But give them a year or two and suddenly it is not so much fun. They get stuck with the graveyard shifts, are beaten down by the rules and regulations of guard life, they only see the Princess in passing, if at all. Most return to their common life before their third year has passed, only to be replaced by new bright-eyed men full of dreams.

"Those that do stay on find that climbing the ranks is no easy task, and the higher they go the harder it becomes. Yes, someone has to become the Captain of the Guards, but as often as not, he's beaten down and bitter by the time he reaches that height, and the fun soldier boy stage has long passed, replaced by piles of paperwork. They are no longer heroes of the battlefield, but generals who stay safely behind to plan out where they will send young men to die.

"Your eyes are still bright, Hero. You are still out to save the world. And, I think, even if you don't become bitter, even you will eventually become fed up." Sheik stretched and sat up. "Besides, death isn't a bad thing. It makes way for new growth. Sometimes it is best to wipe the slate clean and start fresh."

"I suppose..." Link agreed with a frown.

A tremble in the ground drew their attention as Haldor stomped up, shouting his greeting joyfully. The leader of the Goron tribe sat down with them, slapping Link on the back in his painfully friendly manner as he did.

"Remind me, Brothers, what was it you wished to know?"

Link let out a breath. "There is a Duke from Termina at the palace. He says that a valuable artifact was stolen from his land and hidden in Hyrule somewhere. The only clue we have is that it is hidden where the land meets the sky. And Death Mountain is the largest chunk of land that rises into the sky; it seemed a good place to start."

"Hmmm," Haldor rubbed his chin as he leaned back. "There have been no strangers in the new tunnels, we would have seen them. But perhaps you could search the old tunnels. We have not used them in many generations."

"Old tunnels?" Sheik repeated, slightly perplexed. "What old tunnels?"

Haldor laughed. "Gorons did not always live at the top of the mountains, you know. Once we lived here, where Kakariko village stands. You walk above our ancestral home every day."

"Really?" Sheik said, sounding more contemplative then curious. "Tell me, is there any way into the old tunnels?"

Haldor tapped his chin. "The main entrance was buried, but I believe, Brother Sheik, a side entrance is still open in your graveyard."

Sheik's eyes almost sparkled. "Thanks, Haldor. Come on, Hero!"

Link blinked as Sheik bolted to his feet and walking at a clipped pace across the village.

"Thanks, Haldor," Link repeated with a wave, before following Sheik.

"Good luck, Brothers!"

"What makes you so sure that thing is hidden in the old Goron tunnels?" Link asked as he caught up with Sheik.

The older man slowed his pace. "I don't, not for sure, anyway. But it's all we have to go on and if we stick around Haldor much longer we'll be hauled off for a celebration banquet."

"But I haven't had my yearly requirement of indigestible stones the size of my head," Link whined with a grin.

"Keep it up, farmboy, and you'll be eating your teeth."

Link laughed. "Still it's probably not a good idea to go now. Remember they are holding–" Sheik rounded the corner into the graveyard and looked like he wanted to swear. "Funerals." Link finished. A large group of villagers stood together, hiding the view of the open graves before them. For a long moment they stood there, not sure whether it was better to leave or stay.

"You came..." a woman said softly. She stepped away from the crowd and came towards them. She was an older woman, most likely a mother or aunt of one of the fallen men. Link swallowed, not sure how she would react. "Thank you." She gently took his hand in hers. "My Conan would be so honored to have you here. Please, come closer."

Link gave the woman a gentle smile and followed her, Sheik on his heels. The woman guided them to the group, who parted to let them through to the front. Several graves had been dug and the simple wooden coffins already lowered into the ground.

Link bit his lip. He had not known any of these men, not by name or rank or any other distinction. They had been faceless swords in battle, nothing more. Yet by reputation alone, they chose to stand by him and fight when they did not have to. Now their friends and family stood silently watching him, expecting him to say the right thing.

He wished he had more moblin to fight.

"Courage is a funny thing," Sheik said in a soft smooth voice. Link looked at him in surprise, as did everyone else. "It can drive a man to do things when logic tells him such actions are not in his best long term interest. Yet there are tales of men throughout history who have taken up arms to fight for what they believe in and what is right, men who died for those causes. Some go down in history as legends, their names sung long after they have passed into the arms of the Goddesses.

"But for every one of those great men, hundreds more die unnamed and unsung. These men are the true heroes. There is no selfishness or self-preservation in their sacrifice. They fight for a future they will never see and children who will grow up not knowing them. They fight for causes greater than themselves. They fight so that those who follow in their wake know that nothing in life is free and true peace can only be found by those who will give all they have to obtain it.

"May the Goddesses welcome those who come to them now. Naryu knowing what they have sacrificed, Din blessing their fierce spirit, and Farore honoring their courage. Do not mourn these men. They have earned your respect and the respect of the Goddesses, that is something that should be celebrated."

"Amen," the priest added with a shake of his head. "Amen." The crowd began to file away, many stopping the shake Link's and Sheik's hands as they passed. The two men waited at the graveside until the last of the people had filed out.

"Where did you pull that from and how badly did it hurt?" Link asked quietly.

"Zelda wrote it." Sheik shrugged. "I just memorized it. I didn't want your little country bumpkin foot to get stuck in your mouth."

Link rolled his eyes. "Let's find the tunnel entrance before the grave keeper comes and finds us poking around." He glanced around the clearing. The Kakariko graveyard was surrounded by cliffs that gave it a private feeling. The walls had been worn smooth over time and there was no obvious entrance to an underground catacomb. "Umm..humm..." Link huffed.

Sheik frowned as he walked to the graveyard perimeter and ran his fingers over the smooth stone. "Hero, I'm going to call up a wind, you listen for the sound of it blowing past an cave entrance." Link nodded. "WIND!" Sheik commanded, hand raised overhead. A great rush of air began to swirl around them, whipping up their hair and flinging loose dirt into the sky.

Then the wall moved. Link blinked, surprised to see a section of solid wall towards the back of the graveyard behind the older graves, ripple like water. Sheik lowered his hand and the two looked at each other with identical frowns.

Carefully, they picked their way between the graves towards the wall. Even as they stopped and a stood right in front of it, the section of wall looked identical to any other random portion of wall in the graveyard. Link picked up a stick and poked it. The stick went through the wall so easily Link stumbled forward and splashed through after it.

"Link!" Sheik yelled after him.

"I'm okay," Link replied as he picked himself up off the ground. "It's some sort of trick of light and water."

Sheik's hand slid through the sheet of water, then retreated, shortly followed by his entire body. "Interesting."

"Gorons don't do magic, and certainly not water magic," Link pointed out as he wrung water from his tunic. "Someone else is trying to hide this entrance."

"All the more reason for us to explore it."

Link nodded and, reaching into his pouch, pulled out a lamp and quietly lit it. The warm golden glow spread out around them, reaching beyond the sunlight that slipped past the illusion. Slowly they began to descend.

Unlike the organized Goron city in Death Mountain, the catacombs were simply a network of interconnecting tunnels that still seemed to be a work in progress. Some of the tunnels were dead ends, while other looped around on themselves endlessly. And twice they found their way back to the entrance.

"I think we need a ball of string..." Link sighed. "Or some bread crumbs."

"Not a bad idea," Sheik agreed, picking up the stick Link had dropped earlier. He snapped it in half and burned the ends in the lamp flame. When they were nicely charred, he shook them out and handed one to Link. "Now we can mark where we've been."

Sliding the sticks along the wall as they walked, they carefully marked the way they had come, and began to make real progress. After almost an hour underground they came to a central room that looked like a crude design of the main room of the Goron city. But instead of the steeply tiered amphitheater, the room was very wide and each drop off was fairly shallow; giving the room a more dish shape. There was also no private meeting chamber at the bottom, but a small piece of raised stone the size of a large balcony. Dozens of tunnels led off from the main room on every level.

Sheik sighed. "It's going to take us months just to narrow down which tunnel to take."

"Not necessarily," Link countered as he crouched down and held the lamp low to the ground. He ran his fingers across the stone floor, leaving a mark in the untold decades of settled dust. "Unless whoever is or was in here can fly, they are going to tell us exactly where they have been." Moving low to the ground, Link began searching for the taletell marks in the dust; while Sheik moved alongside him marking their way with the charcoal of the stick and keeping a lookout.

It took almost an hour of crawling on the dirty floor, but Link finally located a footprint in the dust. Like an impression in dry sand it was indistinct and soft around the edges. But the toe had left a clear scuff as the person dragged their foot just a bit. Lifting the lamp, he followed the prints with his eyes as they disappeared down a tunnel.

As they turned in, Link stopped; throwing his arm out to stop Sheik as well. A quick look told Sheik to be quiet as Link tilted his head, listening. There was a certain but faint thumping coming from the tunnel. The sound was unlike footsteps in that they were irregular, often several quick thumps together, followed by a pause, then more thumping.

Motioning for Sheik to follow, they began creeping through the cave. Slowly the sounds got closer and more defined. Soon they could see a soft, golden glow coming from around the corner ahead of them. Link blew out the lamp and put it away. Quietly, they drew their swords.

Link pressed his back against the wall and held his sword up, using it as a mirror to see around the corner. What he saw made him swear. Sheathing his sword, he marched around the corner and grabbed the man by his collar. He yelped when Link yanked him away from where he was drawing on the wall in chalk.

"What are you doing here?"

Lord Thorvald pulled out of Link's grasp and straightened his clothes. "I should be asking you the same thing, boy. In case you don't recall, I am the High Lord of Kakariko. These tunnels are part of the town and I may, therefore, come and go as I please. You, however, are trespassing."

"Correction," Sheik said as he followed Link into the light. "We have permission from the Goron to be here, you don't."

"Well, if it isn't my wayward son." Thorvald sneered as he looked Sheik over. "What was it you were calling yourself now? Sheik, was it? And you call Archelaus presumptuous."

Sheik's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a little boy anymore, Thorvald, and I'm not afraid of you."

The lord merely smiled. "Oh? I'll have to remember that in the future. Now run along, daddy has work to do."

"And what would that be? Somehow I don't see you mapping out a sewer system for kicks," Sheik growled as he took a step closer. "You are looking for it too, aren't you?"

Thorvald took a step away and turned as if to continue down the tunnel. "My dear boy, I don't know what you are talking about."

Sheik dodged around him, cutting off his escape. "Do you really think I'm as stupid as Meredith? You were at the castle when the Duke arrived, and gone by the time I returned with Link. You know he's looking for an artifact, and where he suspected it would be."

"Get out of my way, boy!" Thorvald snapped and shoved Sheik.

The reaction was instantaneous. Sheik snatched Thorvald's hand, turned, and twisted. Thorvald yelped as his arm was yanked around behind his back. "What's the matter? Does it hurt?" He pulled harder, a smile on his face.

"Sheik..." Link said quietly. "Let him go."

"Shut up, Link. This doesn't concern you. In fact, it would probably be best if you left. Right now."

Link frowned. "No."

Sheik glared at him and sneered. "Fine, stay and watch, but don't get in the way." He pulled a dagger from under his armor. Thorvald's eyes widened.

Link grabbed Sheik's wrist. The older man glowered at him, but Link held firm. "Stop. He isn't worth it."

"I said not to interfere, Hero. I won't ask you again." He tried to pull his wrist free, but Link only tightened his grip. Sheik yanked, and Link went with him, using the momentum to separate him from Thorvald and placing himself between the two men. Sheik looked at him like he had never looked at him before. The rage came first, followed quickly by hurt and betrayal, then right back to anger. "You son of a bitch..." Sheik breathed, and flung the dagger. The throw was wide and Link did not bother dodging. Thorvald, however, yelped and scrambled away.

"Sheik, be reasonable," Link began, but Sheik lunged at him. Link caught the older man in the middle and rolled, landed hard on his back. They wrestled across the floor, each trying to get the upper hand and pin the other. Sheik landed a blow on his chin before he could react, but Link caught his fist before he could land another and bucked him off.

Sheik cursed and started to rise, but Link was faster. Grabbing Sheik's wrists and straddling his waist. He pinned the older man down. Sheik growled and flipped his wrist, a spare dagger springing up from a holder in his wrist and slicing across Link's palm. He hissed and pulled away automatically. Sheik used the sudden freedom to slug him again, knocking him away.

"This isn't justice, Sheik. It's revenge." Link panted as he came to his feet.

"You think I care?"

"I care!" Link snapped back. "I won't let you become a murderer."

Sheik glared. "It's only murder if someone finds out." He got his knee up on Link's chest and pried him off. "You going to arrest me, farmboy? Being the good little herald of justice, I suppose you'll execute me too."

"I don't want to hurt you, Sheik, don't do this," Link warned as Sheik lowered himself into a fighting stance. Then he lunged. Link reacted, dodging to the right and bringing his fist into Sheik's gut. The older man let out a pained whoosh of air and went limp. Link helped him to the ground as Sheik coughed and tried to catch his breath.

"Very good," Thorvald said, clapping slowly. "That is the way to put ruffians like him in their place." Link glanced over his shoulder before standing up. Thorvald never saw the punch coming, the force lifting him clear off his feet to land a few feet away.

"Don't ever speak to me again. And if you so much as look at Sheik, I'll gut you myself." Link growled as he loomed over the lord. Thorvald did not respond, too busy trying to stop the blood coming from his mouth and nose. Ignoring him, Link returned to Sheik and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Sheik grunted and pushed away from him. Link let him go. Leaving Thorvald, they began a long silent march through the tunnels. Kakariku's Lord had been exploring the tunnels for a while, evident by the chalk marks all over the walls. It cut down their exploration time, and quickly proved there was nothing hidden in the tunnels besides a few abandoned Goron food stores.

They returned to the inn well after dark, and neither man spoke as they went to bed.

Link woke to find Sheik already awake. He sat perched on the windowsill, one leg dangling outside as he rested his back on the frame. As Link rose, Sheik turned his head just enough to see him, before looking back over the village.

"Good morning," Link ventured. Sheik did not respond and Link sighed as he dressed. "So this is how it's going to be then? For what it's worth, I understand why you're mad. But I won't ask your forgiveness, because we both know I was right. I'm going to the Zora's domain to see if they know anything. You do whatever you think you need to do." Pulling on his boots, he stood and headed for the door.

"You don't understand."

Sheik's voice stopped him and Link turned back. "Oh?"

Sheik dropped his leg inside the room as he turned to face Link. "No, Hero, you don't." It was then Link realized Sheik's scarf was pulled down, the scar on his face clearly visible.

"Enlighten me."

Sheik gave an unamused snort. "I could explain it to you, but you won't understand even if I spelled it out."

"Try me."

"When have you ever been alone? Really alone? Ever?" He stepped off the windowsill and crossed the room. "You've always had a home to return to. Even your little vacation from reality was just a farce; you could have gone back to the ranch whenever you wanted. You didn't even become the Hero of Hyrule on your own; without me, you'd have died or started a war. It's not about right or wrong, Link, it's about loyalty."

Link lifted his chin. "So, out of loyalty, I should have let you become a murderer?"

Sheik looked away. "It was my choice."

"You're right, I don't understand and I hope I never do." Link opened the door and walked straight into the chest of a guard.

The man frowned at him, but said nothing as he took a step back. "By orders of Lord Thorvald, the man who calls himself Sheik is to be brought in for treason. All who aid him will also be considered traitors to the crown and treated appropriately."

"You have got to be kidding me..." Link sighed.

Sheik rolled his eyes. "I feel I should be shocked, yet, I'm not."

"Will you come quietly?" the guard asked, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Sheik leveled the guard with a look. "No, and you can't make us either." The guard swallowed and seemed to debate whether or not to draw his sword. The sword rattled as it slowly came out of its sheath and the guard leveled it at Sheik.

"It was not a request."

Sheik frowned at him, then sighed. In a flash he drew a single thin sword and slapped the weapon from the guard's grasp, before returning his sword to its sheath. The guard stepped back, then turned and ran.

"What is it about this village that always has us leaving in a hurry?" Link asked as they collected the last of their things and headed downstairs. They were met at the inn door by more guards, all armed. Link sighed a curse. "All right, all right, we'll come quietly." The guard gave him a rather chagrined nod as the other guards surrounded them and began herding the two men towards Thorvald's mansion, where they left them.

The large courtyard was everything Link expected from the Lord of Kakariko. The garden was lush with flowers and bushes, all growing tall on the rich lava soil. Thorvald sat in a carved marble throne in the middle of the yard under an arbor covered in pale blue hanging flowers. The air was thick with their floral scent.

Sheik folded his arms and frowned at the nobleman. "Do you really believe Link will save you again?"

Thorvald smiled and relaxed in his chair. "Wouldn't Lady Zelda be disappointed? Her servant murders a nobleman in cold blood while the Hero stands by and does nothing."

Sheik grinned and made a great show of looking around. "No one here but the three of us. You think Link would really tell on me?"

Link's ear twitched. "That's not right, Sheik." The man in blue glared daggers at him. "He's planted witnesses. Three I believe." Sheik's expression turned to surprise as Link motioned to bushes on their right and left. "Don't let him goud you."

Thorvald frowned. "I suppose my son was wrong about you. Perhaps you are no longer a worthless farmboy."

"What do you want, Thorvald?" Link huffed. "No one knew what happened yesterday except us, but now there will be questions."

Thorvald sneered as he waved away the people behind the bushes. Sheik glowered at them and Link made a note to ask about that later. "I have been humiliated for the last time."

"Doubtful," Sheik breathed.

"But," the Lord went on, looking as if the words pained him. "It is time to take a different approach. By what can only be described as pure luck, an orphan and a farmboy have managed to ruin my plans at every turn. So, boys, what will it take to have both of you leave and never return?"

Sheik snorted without humor. "I'd leave your presence in a heartbeat without being asked, and live happily ever after in the knowledge I never have to lay eyes on you again."

"No, simple boy, leave Hyrule."

"The Goddesses would have to descend from on high to personally throw me out," Sheik snarled.

"Then he'd still go kicking and screaming," Link added dryly. His mentor snorted.

"What now, oh father dearest?" Sheik went on. "Going to try and toss us in the well again? Maybe if you ask really nice, Zelda will help you arrange the event. The Goddesses know you fucked it up last time."

"I may not have grounds to execute you, but I am still the standing Lord of this town. As such I hereby ban both of you from ever entering again. You bring nothing but trouble and disaster."

"Fine by me, let's go, Hero," Sheik snapped. Link let out a breath as they turned to leave, but just as they reached the guards who would show them back to the main gate. Sheik turned on his heel and yelled, "Normally I would be happy to put all of Hyrule between myself and you're worthless ass, but I'm going to enjoy watching Zelda reject that order." He slammed the door behind them before Thorvald could respond.

"Well...that went better than I expected," Link sighed.

"You're just saying that because no one died."

"I take victories where I can get them around you."

The guards led them back to the inn, keeping their air professional and cordial. The walk through town was quiet, as such things went. People stopped their work to watch or wave, but unlike Castle Town there was no big parade. The guards let them gather their things at the inn, Caru packing food for their journey in spite of their assurance they had plenty, and mounted their horses. As the Captain of the Guard opened the siege gate, he turned and saluted both men.

"For what it is worth, I feel Lord Thorvald is being unfair. What you did for this village will always be remembered. I apologize we must part on such terms."

"Don't worry about it." Sheik shrugged. "You are just following orders."

The sun set low in the sky over Hyrule Field, setting the breathless air quivering in the afternoon heat. Link took a deep breath, tasting the rain that was just over the mountains. Tonight it would pour and there was no town close enough where they could seek the refuge of a solid roof. He glanced at Sheik, to see him scanning the horizon. "I don't suppose you packed a tent?"

"No, Hero, I didn't."

They set a fast pace, but as night overtook them, so did the rain. It came down in thick sheets drenching them and the horses in only a few minutes. Lightning raced across the blackened sky and thunder roared in fury. They managed to find meager shelter in a small grove of trees that did little more than collect the rain into heavy drops before dumping it on them. A fire was impossible, even with their magic, so they bundled up as best they could and had some fruit for supper.

The rain did not blow itself out during the night and continued on into the morning, though much more gently. The wet brought the ChuChu out of hiding. It was a mixed blessing. While they filled every extra bottle they had with the useful and colorful creatures, there were far more than they could ever make use of, and spent a lot of time avoiding large groups that would be happy to make a meal of any wayward travelers or passing animals.

Hungry, cold, and wet, it was noon before they found a place to take shelter. The farms that had been in the area had been ransacked by the oddly behaving Moblin, but those farther away had survived relatively intact. Still, few had lights burning in the windows, showing the owners had fled. Neither young man could justify breaking into a home just because of a little rain.

The first farm they came to that looked inhabited was a sad, rickety piece of property. A cow and a handful of underfed goats huddled together under a poorly built pole barn. The field was nothing but mud, that in the rain had turned into a thick slurry. The house was in no better shape, swaying in the slight wind. It was a miracle it had survived the night.

Cautiously, they approached the house and knocked on the door. A young girl in her mid-teens answered, a shawl wrapped tightly about her slim shoulders. Like the livestock, she looked underfed, her skin too pale and slightly sunken. She blinked at them with wide brown eyes, hidden behind dirty brown hair.

"Can...can I help you?"

"We were hoping to find refuge from the storm," Link answered gently. "If you have the room."

The girl looked skeptical, took a step back into the house and shut the door. "Or not," Sheik sighed, his voice sounding strange through the wet wrap over his mouth and nose. They mounted their horses again just as the door reopened. This time it was an older girl, no more than eighteen. She had the same look of hunger and paleness, and though her hair was also brown, her eyes were a pale, milky blue.

"Please, forgive my sister. Come in out of the rain."

Link noticed she did not speak to them, but stared at a spot somewhere over to their left. Dismounting, the men took their saddlebags and released the horses, knowing the animals could take care of themselves even in the bad weather.

The inside of the small, one-room house was as bad as the outside. Puddles of water soaked the hard packed earth floor around overflowing buckets that caught water leaking from the roof. A small fire burned in a crumbling hearth, smoke hovering near the ceiling as whispers of it missed going up the chimney. A tiny dented caldron hung over the fire; the smell of weak soup was almost impossible to discern over the musk of wet earth, old wood, rain, smoke, and something rotten.

The only furniture was a small table, a low bench, and a single bed. The bed was piled high with old blankets and worn clothes. The younger girl was kneeling on the floor near the bed, while the older moved with measured steps to the hearth to stir the fire. The rotten smell was coming from the bed. Link caught Sheik's eyes and knew he smelled it too.

"Please forgive my sister," The older girl said again. "We don't get many visitors here."

"It's all right," Link replied. He wanted to wring some of the water out of his clothes, but it seemed rude. Instead he moved closer to the fire in hopes of drying faster, Sheik followed. Link glanced around the hovel again. "Thank you for the shelter." The older girl jumped and looked at him – or rather at Sheik – in surprise, then quickly recovered.

"Not at all. Please, have some soup. It's not much, but it's hot." She reached next to the hearth and picked up two wooden bowls that had seen better days. Carefully, and with great deliberation, she spooned liquid from the pot into each bowl. Link raised an eyebrow when she bypassed his outstretched hands to instead place the bowls on the table, but did not comment as he took a seat on the bench.

The soup, as she called it, was not all that appetizing. The vegetables were soggy and brown and a strange greasy film floated on top of a liquid that looked like dirty bath water. The younger girl was watching them from her place near the bed, her brown eyes narrowed. Link took a sip of his soup and wished he had not. The liquid was heavily laced with a spice that made his tongue burn and his eyes water, while leaving the roof of his mouth feeling greasy. His throat constricted and his stomach revolted, but he managed to swallow the vile concoction.

"Now that was courage," Sheik said in a voice only Link could hear.

Wiping at the greasy feeling on his lips, Link cleared his throat and addressed the girls. "What are your names?"

"I'm Ada," the older girl replied. "And my sister's name is Romey. What about you?"

Sheik raised an eyebrow as the boys exchanged looks. "This is Link and I'm Sheik." Ada stopped mid-step as she carried a bowl of soup to her sister.

She turned to look at them, but instead focused on Sheik's chest. "The Hero of Hyrule and Zelda's personal bodyguard?" She frowned at them. "Please don't make fun of my blindness. I may not be able to see, but I am not a fool."

Sheik pulled a medallion out from under his armor and walked over to her. Without a word, he placed it in her hand and closed her fingers around it. "We are who we say we are." Ada handed the bowl to her sister and used both hands. The simple metal disc was stamped with a Triforce on one side, and on the other, alternating triangles and circles, the symbol of Light. The young woman held it reverently, running her fingers over the simple designs, then with great care handed it back to Sheik.

"Forgive me, my Lords." She cast her eyes on the floor. "I did not realize..."

"It's all right," Sheik said gently, carefully removing the disc from her hands. "Who we are isn't important. We are just travelers on a rainy day."

A groan from the bed interrupted them. Ada excused herself and quickly moved to her sister beside the bed. They peeled back the blankets and began speaking softly. Link and Sheik exchanged a look and carefully advanced.

The man who lay on the bed was little more than a skeleton. Ashen skin lay draped over bones, and his dark eyes were sunken so far into his skull, he looked almost like one of the Redead. White whiskers and wiry hair clung to his head in a mat of soup grease and sweat. He was dressed only a tattered pair of shorts that at one time must have fit him, but now hung loose around protruding hip bones.

"I am sorry you must see my father this way," Ada said softly. "He has been unwell for a long time and we cannot afford the potions he needs." Link reached into his pouch and pulled out a bottle of blue potion. Romey's eyes widened and her hands twitched. Then she bit her lower lip, looked away, and shook her head.

Link frowned and put the bottle in her hands. "Take it, we have more than enough." Romey smiled brightly and quickly put the bottle to the old man's lips. The results were less than spectacular. While his skin regained some color, it was obvious that the prolonged stay in bed had caused problems the potion could not fix. He retained the sunken hungry look and his muscles were atrophied beyond repair.

"How did he get like this?" Sheik asked as he helped the girls re-cover the man.

"We are not sure, My Lord," Ada answered. "He went out one day to pick berries and mushrooms from the forest, and when he returned he said he was tired. Once he lay down he did not rise again." She sighed almost to herself. "Without a mother to guide us, my sister and I made poor caretakers. I fear it is our fault he has fallen so far."

Sheik sighed. "It doesn't matter. For the time being focus on getting him better. It's late, let's all go to bed."

Despite Link and Sheik's protests, the girls surrendered their own meager beds, insisting that Lords could not sleep on the floor. The young men eventually gave up the futile fight and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 4

Sheik woke to sunlight pouring in through the dirty window. Romey's silhouette blocked a large chunk of the light as she leaned close the glass. Sheik rubbed his eyes and looked for Link, but the other bed was empty.

Standing up, he stretched, groaning as the muscles in his back protested the movement. Ada looked in his direction as she leaned over the pot. Cringing, he hoped she did not offer him any of the contents.

"Did Link say where he was going?"

"Outside," Ada said simply. Romey muttered something incoherent. Raising an eyebrow, Sheik moved to the window and looked out. Link was in his true element. The cows and sheep had been herded into the small barn and closed in while he took the simple fence apart and reassembled it over a greener piece of ground. He must have been at it all night, because he was close to done.

Despite the cool morning, he was already sweating and had removed his tunic. Sheik glanced at the young woman beside him and chuckled to see the approval in her eyes. Grinning to himself, he made his way outside. Link looked up at him.

"Really, Hero, stealing young maidens' hearts before breakfast? I thought you weren't interested in getting hitched yet."

Link frowned and looked past him to the window. Romey blushed and vanished in a swirl of brown hair. He blew out a breath. "No good deed goes unpunished. I hoped I would be finished before anyone got up."

Sheik raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Did you sleep at all?"

"No," Link replied as he hoisted another pole onto his shoulders. "I can sleep in the saddle if I need to. You'll get us to where we need to go."

Sheik shouldered two poles and smiled behind his scarf. "Aww, Hero, you wound me. All this time and you don't know me at all."

Link picked up three more poles, bringing his total to four. "Oh I know you well enough. And I know Zelda would be very upset if she had to jail you for killing a diplomat."

"You have me there, Hero." He picked up two more poles of his own. "But who's to say I won't dump your farmboy ass and find that artifact myself."

Link picked up the last three poles and grinned at the older man. "That's fine. Then I don't have to deal with Duke Buguphisbutt." Sheik made a gagging noise and Link laughed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Never send a royal bodyguard to do a farmboy's job." He laughed again and turned away to get back to work. Link yelped when a small stone struck him between the shoulders. He turned back to glare at Sheik, only to find the other man casually bouncing another stone on the toe of his boot.

It took another hour for them to finish moving the fence before they turned their attention to the animals. The cuccos and cows were simple enough, but Link had to wrestle the goats in by their horns. By the time they made their way back into the house, Ada was serving breakfast, a thin porridge. Link made a face, but ate it anyway. Sheik pushed his around the bowl, picking at what appeared to be a mix of milk and overripe fruit.

The boys finished their questionable breakfast and hurried back to work. Over the course of the morning, the two men made the small farm serviceable. It was a long way from done, but it would make it easier to manage for the time being. By the time they came in for lunch, they had a plan.

As Romey served them their food, Sheik took her hand and deposited several silver rupees in her palm. The girl gasped. "My Lord, I can't accept this, it is far far too much."

"Nonsense," Link replied. "It covers our food and lodging and the errand we need you to run."

"Me?" Romey squeaked.

"Yes," Link said firmly. "We need you to take a message to Princess Zelda."

"The Princess!" Romey squeaked again.

"Yes," Sheik reached into his pouch and pulled out a rolled up scroll. It was sealed with gold wax imprinted with a Triforce. "Show this to the guards and they will let you through."

Romey took the scroll with trembling hands. "Oh, I don't know about this..."

"You'll do fine," Sheik assured her. "We've hitched your horses to a cart that we've placed protective magic on. And there is more than enough money for you to buy supplies until your farm gets going again."

"I'll leave right away," she squeaked and turned to go.

Link caught her wrist before she got far. "The castle isn't going to get up and walk away. Finish lunch first."

After finishing their meal, they saw Romey off. Her hands still trembled as she took up the reins, but Sheik assured her it would all work out. They flanked her as she drove the cart away from the farm and towards the road. As they reached the main dirt track that led across Hyrule Field, Sheik gave the girl one more reassuring pat on the shoulder before they parted ways.

It was still another day and a half to Lake Hylia, but they set a slow pace. They had given most of their supplies to Ada and her father to tide them over until Romey's return, so made their way towards one of the many small settlements scattered around Hyrule. As they passed the small farms, people stopped working in their fields as they passed and children ran alongside their horses.

"This is certainly different than the last trip," Link commented as they dismounted in a town square in front of a general store.

"You mean the one where everyone was afraid for their lives and their only hope was an untrained, untried farmboy?" Sheik asked with a smile. Link kicked a rock at his head, but the older man easily dodged. They laughed as they hitched their horses and entered the store.

The man behind the counter was middle-aged with a receding hairline and a thick mustache. His blue eyes widened then narrowed as he looked them over. Sheik gave him no notice and Link only waved as they searched for their needed supplies. The store was small, and while it covered the basics, it lacked the quantity they would need for a longer journey.

Gathering what they were most in need off, they brought their purchases to the counter. The store owner still eyed them carefully and said nothing but the price. Link gave him the required rupees and he quickly vanished into the back of the shop.

"That was...odd," Sheik said quietly as they packed their items away in their bottomless pouches. Link made a noise of agreement. Outside, they found the village deserted. Despite the many villagers they had seen on the way in, not a soul was in sight. Sheik frowned. "All this place needs is a few tumbleweeds."

"What's going on?" Link asked, clenching his fist as he resisted the urge to reach for his sword.

"I don't know..." Sheik looked around carefully, hands sliding to grasp his own swords. "You go left, I'll take right. Yell if you find anything." Link nodded and began creeping along the side of the building. His boots made soft thunks on the wood of the porch. Dust rose on the wind and filled his nose with the scent of earth and sweat. Nothing seemed out of place, and yet...

A rock whizzed past his head and Link spun on his heel, the Master Sword singing as it slid from its sheath. A boy, no older than half a dozen summers, peered around the edge of a building, his eyes wide. Link raised an eyebrow and the boy fled. Frowning, Link followed, keeping his boots silent over the hard packed earth. He peered around the corner just in time to see the boy being hustled inside by a harried looking woman.

Sheathing his sword, Link walked up to the door and knocked. There was a sudden shuffle inside, followed by silence. Link waited, listening to the frantic whispered conversation inside. Then someone inside moved and the door slowly opened. A boy about Link's age, maybe a summer younger, peered out at him with a carefully blank expression partly hidden behind shaggy brown hair. "How may I be of assistance, My Lord?"

Link blinked back at him, momentarily taken aback. Then he shook his head. "The village is deserted. I wanted to know if there was a problem."

"No problem, My Lord. Just time for the midday meal is all."

Link looked up at the sky to confirm it was well past noon. "I suppose..."

Someone inside whispered harshly and the boy stiffened. "If that is all, My Lord. I wish not to keep you any longer than you can afford."

"No, that's all." Link nodded and left, surprised when the door slammed closed behind him. All around him voices whispered behind walls and closed doors. Closing his eyes, he focused on them, shutting out all else.

"...More of them...?"

"We must be cursed!"

"Do you think...?"

"Don't say it!"

"Should we...I mean... if..."

"Someone has to go out there..."

"They are getting suspicious!"

"Why is he just standing there...what is he going to do?"

"Someone..."

"...it would look strange if only one person..."

"Together then."

"No! Don't go!"

"What if they...?"

Link opened his eyes, a frown creasing his forehead. He made his way back to where the horses were tied, keeping his stride long and purposeful. Sheik was waiting for him, one hand petting Blu's nose while the other fingered a sword. Keeping his features relaxed he casually began to adjust the horse's saddlebags. "You find anything, Hero?"

Link shook his head as he patted Nightfire's neck. "Nothing certain, but something happened here. The people are scared...and I think it's us they are afraid of."

"What makes you say that?" Sheik asked, his voice still even.

"I can hear them."

Sheik finally looked at him, then shook his head. "I'm not going to ask. What do you want to do?"

"They want us gone as quickly as possible. But that isn't helping them," he replied. "Just imagine if Thorvald came through here and received this kind of reception."

"So a room at the inn then." Sheik grinned. Then spoke loudly. "You're right, of course, a bath and a real bed sounds wonderful." Link resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he unhitched Nightfire and led the horse towards the town's inn.

They were met by a young man with sandy colored hair and a stiff smile. "Welcome. How can I help you?"

"We'd like a room for the night and a bath, if it isn't too much trouble," Link answered. The young man shifted and glanced behind him. "We have plenty of rupees," Link assured him. This seemed to surprise the man and he nodded mutely.

A boy hurried forward to take their horses and Sheik gave him a blue rupee. The stable boy stared at the gem in wonder before taking the horses to the stable. Sheik grinned behind his scarf. "There is a red one in it for you if you give them a bath." The boy looked back with large eyes and nodding happily. "Perhaps, Hero," he added in a quieter voice. "All we need to do is grease a few palms."

Link shrugged. "It's not like we can't spare it. Sometimes it seems like rupees grow on trees." They followed the young man inside and up a flight of stairs. There was only one room available and it had only one bed. The young man fidgeted again, his eyes darting to the other room with the closed door.

"This will do," Sheik assured the man. "Flip you for the bed, Hero. Loser gets the floor."

Link gave Sheik a sidelong look and a grin. "Sure." To the great surprise of the young innkeeper, Sheik suddenly lunged and Link ducked. Link got his shoulder into Sheik's ribs and flipped the older man over his back.

"Damn," Sheik hissed. "Guess I get the floor."

Link laughed, offering Sheik a hand up. "Fool me once."

Sheik rolled a shoulder. "That just means I need some new tricks." The innkeeper looked between them warily before bowing and hurrying away.

After they had settled into their room – Link offered Sheik a hammock instead of the floor – they headed down to the common room for lunch. They were surprised to find the room completely empty. In most villages the inn's common room doubled as a place for the locals to exchange gossip over a tankard of milk or game of checkers. Only the barkeep was present, and he looked very unhappy about it.

"Something is really off here," Sheik breathed and Link nodded. They sat at a table where a checkerboard was resting. Clearing the pieces away, Sheik set up a game of chess. A barmaid hurried out with two mugs of milk.

"What may I bring My Lords?"

Link rolled a single shoulder. "Whatever is the local favorite."

"Make it two," Sheik added. The barmaid shifted uncomfortably for a moment, looking back at the barkeep, then hurried away. Link had just captured Sheik's queen when the young woman returned with their food. Link's stomach instantly growled. While he could eat venison he'd killed himself for weeks on end, and enjoyed the exotic delicacies served to him at the palace, there was nothing like the home-cooked foods found in taverns after too much time on the road.

The girl set down two plates and carefully backed away. Each held a wooden bowl brimming with steaming hot stew and a thick slice of bread. Link did not hesitate to dip his wooden spoon into the stew and eat. He sighed happily as the maid scurried away like a frightened mouse. Sheik raised an eyebrow at her retreat, but shrugged it off in favor of pulling down his scarf and enjoying his own meal.

As soon as they finished, the barmaid reappeared and quickly gathered their dishes. As she turned her foot caught on the leg of Sheik's chair, sending herself and the tray of dishes crashing to the floor. The sound was cacophonous in the empty tavern. The woman looked at them in horror.

"There's no reason to be in such a hurry," Link said kindly, reaching for a bowl that had come to rest near his boot.

"Please don't trouble yourself, My Lord!" she squeaked. "I'll clean it up!" She scrambled forward to grab the bowl before he could touch it, quite a feat in her ankle length dress. As she reached for a spoon near Sheik he caught her hand. She froze.

"Who hurt you?"

Link followed his line of sight to the woman's arm, where a line of red was blooming from her elbow to her wrist. There was no tear in her sleeve and it was too straight to have been an accident.

"It...it's nothing, My Lord," she stammered and tried to take her arm back. Sheik did not let go.

"It's not nothing. Sit down before you hurt yourself." The young woman started to protest and Sheik's brow furrowed behind his dark hair. "I will order you if I have to." Reluctantly the woman rose and took the chair Link moved towards her. Sheik gently unbuttoned the cuff of her sleeve while Link picked up the scattered dishes.

Rolling up her sleeve, Sheik revealed a bloody bandage made from dirty strips of cloth. He gently unwrapped the wound that was still oozing blood. Reaching into his pouch he pulled out fresh roll of bandages and a bottle of blue potion. "Drink," he ordered, pulling the cork out with his teeth and putting it in her free hand. "Hero, get me some fresh..." Link set a large bowl of water on the table next to him, "water. Thank you. You, drink."

"My Lord, this is very expensive. Don't waste–"

"Fine, we can play it the hard way. I am a Lord and I order you to drink." The girl sighed and drank as Link covered his mouth to hide a grin. Sheik dipped an unused cloth napkin into the water and carefully began cleaning the wound. Finally, he wrapped it in the bandage. Before she could retract her arm from his grasp, he placed several blue rupees in her hand. "Take a few days off and let that heal properly. If the wound gets infected you could lose your arm."

Before she could argue, Sheik rose, taking the bowl of bloody water with him and walked to the barkeep. When he returned he gave her a grin she could not see behind the wrapping about his face. "The barkeep has agreed you won't work for a week, so go home and rest." The girl's lower lip trembled, then she gave an awkward curtsy and hurried out the door. "Come on, Hero, time to snoop." Sheik said in a low voice.

Link nodded and they split up. Sheik headed back to the barkeep and Link made his way out to the stables. He found the stable boy in the middle of bathing Blu. The large draft was basking in the attention as the young boy used a soft brush to scrub him with warm water. Nightfire had also been unsaddled and fed, another bucket standing by for his bath. The boy had even gone so far as to trim the fur around their muzzles and ears, and even put polish on their hooves. Another boy was buffing their tack into a high shine.

Both boys looked horrified at his arrival. "I'm-I'm sorry, My Lord. We haven't finished seeing to your horses yet."

Link gave them a grin. "It's better to do a job right than fast. Besides, I just came to get some things out of my saddlebag." He picked up his saddlebag and began sorting through its contents. "Hmm...not here either. Did either of you see a bottle filled with clear purple liquid?"

Both boys looked at each other worriedly. "No, Sire, we haven't."

"That's all right, it's probably in my room. I saw that the barmaid had hurt her arm and thought a drop of Great Fairy tears was just what she needed. Do you know what happened to her? She won't say."

The boy cleaning the tack chewed his lip. Link reached over to pet Nightfire's nose so he would not stare at the boy. "Well, Sire–"

"Call me Link," he interrupted.

"Link?" The boy brushing Blu said in an awed voice. "You're the Hero of Hyrule? That Link, sir?"

Link grinned. "That's right." Both boys stared at him in pure wonder for a full minute before they began bombarding him with questions. He put up his hands and they both fell quiet. "Tell you what. I'll tell you all about the fight with Ganondorf, if you tell me what happened to the barmaid." Both boys' eyes widened as if he had just offered them a lifetime supply of cake. Then both began speaking at once. Link listened intently to them, a frown growing across his brow.

It was several hours later when he found Sheik in the alley between the tavern and another building, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. If Link did not know better, he would have said he was sulking. Hiding his smile, Link joined him. "Find anything interesting?"

"I might as well have the plague for all the conversation I got," Sheik growled in return.

Link chuckled and leaned against the wall next to him. "It's good to know I finally have something over you." Link calmly studied his nails. "What do you say to trading that letter for the information I dug up."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "You must have gotten your hands on a doosy if you think it is worth that bit of blackmail."

"Maybe it is." Link grinned, idly playing with a stone by his foot.

"Maybe it's not," Sheik countered. "Show me your cards, Hero, and let's see if your hand plays."

"Humph. Right. Once I tell you, you've got no reason to cough up the letter," Link kicked the stone into the air and caught it.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Not even as far as I can throw you."

Sheik laughed. "I'm so proud of you right now, Hero." He pushed off the wall. "What do you propose? What can I do to prove myself?"

Link grinned as he tossed his rock in his hand, studying the other man. Sheik raised an eyebrow in question. "That's the rub isn't it? I'll just have to trust your word as my friend."

"You wound me, Hero," Sheik whimpered, but his smile stayed fixed in place. Link rolled his eyes and motioned for Sheik to follow. Quietly, they made their way through the backdoor of the tavern and up the stairs. He glanced up and down the short hall, then went to the room next door to their own and tried the knob. The lock clicked but the door held firm.

"Story of my life," Link sighed and Sheik smirked. "The roundabout way then." They slipped into their own room, and opened the window. Link glanced down at the stable and yard below, to be sure no one was around, then stood up on the sill and hoisted himself onto the roof. Sheik followed.

From the roof they could see the whole of the small village. Windows glowed with the evening fires in the fading light of twilight, and in the fields farmers were making their way home. The wind shifted, carrying the whiff of smoke and earth with it.

Despite his heavy boots, Link moved nimbly over the roof to where the window of the next room should be. Reaching over the edge, he gave the window a gentle shove inward, but it remained tightly closed. Link sighed again.

Before Sheik could ask what his next move was, Link lifted himself up on his hands at the roof's edge, turned, and dropped. His boots hit the window with a crash of splintering wood and shattering glass.

"Now, that is an entrance," Sheik laughed, swinging down from the roof to follow. An alarmed, elderly man was sitting up in bed, clutching his side with one hand and reaching for a club with the other. Link stood in the center of the mess he had made, his hands raised in a show of peace. "Okay, I'll bite," Sheik said, glancing between Link and the elderly man. "Why are we breaking into the room of an old man, and what has it got to do with anything?"

"Sheik, meet the tavern owner, Jasper," Link introduced. "He was stabbed trying to protect his barmaid from a noble."

Sheik's green eyes widened then narrowed. "A noble? Who?"

"Who wants to know?" the elderly man asked in a pained hiss. "Think he will pay you well if you finish the job?"

The corner of Link's mouth twitched. "Forgive our...intrusion. We needed to see you and there was no other way in. My name is Link and this is Sheik, Zelda's personal guard."

The man narrowed his eyes. "The Hero of Hyrule and Zelda's personal guard? I'm old, not stupid, boy!" he hissed, thumping his club against the bed. He clutched his side again, blood beginning to show through the white bandage.

"Fair enough," Link agreed and pulled off his left glove. Even Sheik's eyes widened to see the mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand. Grabbing his hand, Sheik brought it closer for a better look. The skin was smooth and unbroken, but clearly had turned to gold. It even sparkled in the light.

"By the Goddesses..." Sheik whispered. "How long have you had this, Hero?"

Link half shrugged while Sheik continued to study his hand. "I noticed it after the Battle with Ganondorf, but I think I picked it up in the desert." Sheik shook his head and swore.

Link gave him an amused smile as he let the older man examine his hand. Sheik withdrew his medallion and passed it to the man as well. The man took a great deal of time studying both, before raising his eyes to them.

"What brings you here, My Lords?"

"An errand for the Princess, but it is not urgent. Tell us what happened. Who did this?"

The man fingered his club uncomfortably. "I don't know, My Lords, they gave no names and did not stay long." He studied his club without really seeming to see it. "They were wearing traveling clothes, but at least one of them was of the nobility. He barked orders and had soft hands." He pursed his lips. "The other...he... he wasn't right."

"How?" Sheik asked as he took his medallion back and tucked it away.

The man groaned as he moved to rest his back against the headboard and Link quickly moved to assist him. After he was settled, he continued. "He wore a black mask that covered his whole face. Only his eyes could be seen. He dressed all in black and blood red. But his eyes... I've never in all my days seen eyes like those." The man let out a breath of air as if he had forgotten to breathe, then hissed through his teeth and clutched his side.

Link frowned. "We'll talk more later. Right now, you need a fairy to heal that wound."

"Go on, Hero. I'll keep an eye on him."

Link leaned against a tree and peered up at the sun through the leaves. He had been searching for over two hours with no luck. He could feel the pull of the Fountain, but it still felt fuzzy as if far away. But it was more than that. He could feel he was close to Kokiri Forest and the influence of the Great Deku Tree, yet the forest was oddly silent, not even birds sang in the trees.

Link closed his eyes and listened, concentrating on just the sounds around him. Without the background of the forest creatures, he could hear a great deal. But what he heard made him frown. It was an odd chattering that sounded almost like speech. Alongside it was the pinging of metal work being done and the groan of wood as it bent.

Turning towards the sound, Link notched an arrow onto his bow and crept forward. It was almost a hundred yards before he found what he was looking for. At first he thought it was a large band of bandits, but closer inspection showed they had green skin much like a bokoblin. Each of them stood about three feet tall, wore chainmail shirts, brown pants, a metal mask over their lower face, and a leather cap held on by loops around the steer horns growing from the side of their heads. Red eyes burned in sunken sockets. Each was armed with a bow, quiver of crude arrows, and a heavy club.

They had not built a simple camp either. In fact they had cleared a large area of the forest and built a fortress, complete with guard towers. A dozen of the strange creatures patrolled the upper wall, arrows notched and ready.

Link frowned at the strange creatures and cast his mind around for any new alliances Zelda or Sheik might have mentioned; but nothing came to mind. Still, he had no reason to engage them. Tucking his bow and arrow away, but checking that the Master Sword would draw easily, he backtracked the way he came and began making his way around the encampment. He cut a wide circle around the creatures' camp, keeping one ear attuned to their chatter while trying to locate the Fairy Fountain he could still feel.

It was not until he returned to his starting point that he realized the troubling truth, the creatures' camp was built over the Fountain.

With an exasperated sigh, Link crept back towards the camp and climbed into the trees. He shifted from branch to branch until he found a place where he could see over the encampment's walls without being seen.

He had hoped they had camped on that spot by some mere happenstance, but it was quickly apparent they had chosen the spot. From his vantage point, Link could make out the dark patch that was the Lost Door. Many of the creatures were gathered around it, digging with little, crude shovels or their hands. After several minutes of observation, he could not decide if they were trying to get in or get something out, but it was clear they had no idea how a Lost Door worked. It was not as simple as locating one, one had to know how to open it.

He was so engrossed watching the strange creatures work, he did not see the arrow until it sliced a chunk from his ear. Smothering the pained yelp was automatic to him, but did little good as one of the sentries pointed at him, then the entirety of the camp's guards took aim at his position.

He dropped to the ground just as a dozen arrows thumped against the tree trunk where he had been resting. Grabbing his bow, he notched an arrow and fired, killing the sentry that had spotted him in a single shot. The creatures went mad and began bubbling out of the camp like angry ants.

"Oh shit," Link hissed. He retreated, considering his options. His single arrow had shown them not to be resilient creatures, but there were a lot of them.

More arrows whizzed past him, this time with flaming tips. Cursing, he spun and fired another shot of his own, this time pushing magic into the arrowhead. Light, pure and golden, scattered the forest shadow. It struck one of the creatures in the chest, setting it and several of those nearby off like bloody fireworks.

The ground underfoot shook and the creatures parted to allow several massive boars, each carrying two of the creatures, to charge through. Link dodged to the side, just missing being skewered on the pig's tusks. The creatures pulled their mounts up short and turned back to face him. Link frowned. A horde of creatures was closing in from behind and their mounted units had just closed off his retreat.

The Master Sword sang as he pulled it from its sheath. Raising his shield he spun to face the advancing creatures. Red eyes burned at him through the forest gloom, and behind he could hear the boars stamping restlessly. Light bounced off the mirror bright blade, making it seem to glow in the dark.

With a cry the creatures surged forward, bows and clubs raised. Link echoed them and charged, sword ready. Arrows zipped past him wildly and he met the creatures halfway, cutting down four with a single sword stroke. He turned and slashed, cutting down creatures on all sides as they surrounded him. A club clanged off his shield, numbing his arm. But he stepped into the blow, using the shield as a battering ram to knock the creatures away.

Without shifting his stance he lunged in the opposite direction, stabbing another creature. A club caught him in the ribs and he felt something crack. Gritting his teeth, he yanked his sword back and turned on the offender, slicing its head from its shoulders.

One of the creatures gave a cry and they pulled back as one. Link glanced around him and counted at least two dozen little bodies bleeding on the ground. The creatures had formed a loose circle around him, chattering quietly to each other. Then as one they raised their bows and notched arrows.

"Wind!" Link raised his hand over his head and called on the magic Sheik had taught him. The air screamed as it whipped into a sudden cyclone around him, tearing at his clothes and ripping the bows from the creatures' grasp. Those closest to him were even picked up and hurled through the air; crashing into their fellows and the surrounding trees.

With the wind still whipping around him, Link considered his options. Using fire in the middle of the forest was out of the question, and there was not a source of water near enough for him to call on it. Moving the earth would be almost as devastating to the forest as calling on fire. He really did not want to explain the destruction of their forest to the Kokiri if he did not absolutely have to.

He looked past the vortex of air and arrows to see the creatures had backed off, leaving the mounted units closest. It was crazy. It was stupid. Sheik would definitely kill him if he found out.

He released his hold on the magic and charged. In one swift move he swung up on the back of the boar, knocking the two surprised creatures to the ground in the process. Grabbing the reins, he wrenched the beast around to face the camp and put his heels into its sides. With a squeal, the boar took off, leaving the smaller creatures to get out of the way or be trampled. Link urged his mount faster, but found the boar moved more at a fast lumber than a gallop.

Arrows, some on fire, whizzed past him, and one struck his calf. Pain shot up his leg as the arrowhead embedded in his flesh. He looked over his shoulder to see the other mounted creatures giving chase. Hoping he could steer his cumbersome mount with his legs, Link drew his sword as the first of the creatures drew alongside.

As it turned out, the boar was less sword and more sledge hammer. It ignored his every attempt to direct its flight in favor of barreling through the forest at full tilt.

Link parried a blow from a club with his sword and slapped another creature from its mount with his shield. Another creature took a swing at him, and Link again caught the blow with his shield, but when he struck back in retaliation, he slew the creature controlling the mount instead. The boar squealed, wheeling sideways as the rider fell dead from its back, reins still gripped in its little green hands. The club wielding creature had enough time to give a startled cry before it was crushed under the pounding hooves.

The sound of arrows releasing caught Link's ear a mere second before three shafts slammed into his back. Two more struck the boar, sending it into a maddened charge. It bucked and kicked wildly, bashing into trees and other boars without regard. All Link could do was hold on as he was thrashed around like a rag doll.

The boar hit the wooden fortress shoulder first, smashing through it with a cacophony of cracking wood and squealing pig. Link was thrown from its back to bounce off the packed earth several time before coming to rest on the now broken shafts protruding from his back. Through the haze of pain and dirt he caught sight of the Lost Door only a few feet away and with great effort shoved himself to his hands and knees.

His right leg faltered under his weight and he swore at the sight of bone puncturing the skin. Pushing off with his good leg, he all but fell headfirst into the Lost Door.

Sheik reread his letter for the third time. It was crisp, formal, and perfectly polite. A perfectly acceptable letter to send to the Princess. Its contents even a bit dull, a simple account of their travels. Anyone could pick up the letter and find nothing amiss about it. But long ago he and Zelda had developed a code. His true intentions were found only by the one who knew where to look. Satisfied he rolled the parchment and sealed it with wax.

Faris, a falcon once belonging to the Garudo king Savas, sat on the back of an empty chair, patiently cleaning his feathers while he waited for Sheik to finish his letter. When he approached with the letter, the falcon dutifully extended one leg and allowed the document to be tied on. The raptor gave his load a shake to make sure it was secure, then jumped to Sheik's shoulder.

Sheik chuckled and gave the bird a scratch on the head as he carried it to the window. "Make sure that letter gets to Zelda safe and sound." Faris cocked his head and gave a sharp cry, before leaping from Sheik's shoulder and taking to the sky. Sheik watched as the bird circled overhead several times, before turning towards the castle.

He turned back toward the room when the sound of pounding feet echoed through the hallway. The door to his room was flung open and one of the stable boys stood there panting. "Master...the horse...the black horse...crazy...wild..."

Sheik shoved past the panting boy and raced down the stairs two at a time. The stable was in chaos. Nightfire was screaming as he balked and fought the rope tying him to the stall. The barkeep and several men Sheik did not recognize were trying to calm the animal without success.

Sheik shoved past them, drawing a sword. The barkeep yelled in surprise as he brought the blade down on the rope. Nightfire wheeled and screamed as he bolted from the stable. Sheik cut Blu's lead as well and jumped on the larger Hyrulian Draft. The horse needed no encouragement to give chase.

Sheik pulled his horse up short as he crested a hill. "Oh Nayru, Hero, what have you done?"

Below, Nightfire was racing into a mob of Bublin. Link sat astride one of their boar mounts, using his sword and shield to fend off any of the creatures that got in reach. Nightfire trampled the creatures, picking up Link as he went. Sheik smiled and shook his head, drew his swords and put his heels to Blu's flanks.

Link rode out to meet him, but halfway there he spun Nightfire back around. He raised the Master Sword overhead as the creatures charged. The battle, if it could be called that, was short and bloody. The Bublin were already in disarray, many had resorted to their clubs after having run out of arrows. Their short legs and lumbering mounts were no match for quick horses and sharp swords.

"I leave you alone for a few hours and you promptly find a hornet's nest to kick," Sheik growled in good humor as he pushed his black and bloody bangs out of his eyes. Both men and horses were covered in a layer of thick red gore that glistened in the midday sun.

Link grinned. "Not my fault they built their base over the Fairy Fountain."

Sheik squeezed the bridge of his nose and chuckled in disbelief. "You took on an entire base of Bublin? What am I asking? Of course you did."

"Is that what these things are?" Link asked, stabbing a twitching body with his sword. "I haven't seen them before."

"So naturally, you kill them," Sheik chuckled, turning his horse back towards the village.

"They started it," Link countered, searching for a clean piece of cloth to wipe his sword with.

"Nature abhors a vacuum, Hero. With most of the Moblin gone or scattered, something else has to move in. That something else is Bublin. We're not sure where they came from, but they tend to be smarter and more organized than the Moblin or Bokoblin."

They entered the village like the leaders in a morbid parade. Blood stained their clothes and dripped from their mounts. The villagers peeked from doors and windows, mouths opened in a mix of awe and horror.

"Let's get cleaned up," Sheik sighed, "Then we'll go to the Fairy Fountain together, clean up the last of the Bublin and bottle a few fairies."

"I never said I didn't get the fairy," Link grinned, holding up a bottle with a pink glowing ball of light resting in it.

"Hero, you are something else."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 5

Link yawned as he relaxed against the inn roof. A cool night wind carried the first breaths of the coming Fall. Below him, he could hear the sounds of celebration; above, the stars twinkled peacefully. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. It was the soft footfalls near his head that alerted him to Sheik's arrival. Opening one eye he looked up at the man in blue.

"All that work to draw out these people and you retreat to the roof during the party." Sheik sank down next to him. "But I suppose you've earned a bit of peace and quiet."

The corner of Link's mouth twitched. "I've just been thinking about what Jasper said."

Sheik stretched out beside him and began tracing constellations with his fingers. "To what end? You don't know much about the goings on in the court – lucky bastard – and even I've never seen or heard of someone like he's described."

"You think he was confused?"

Sheik's eyes roved the sky for a few minutes. "Don't take this the wrong way, Hero, but we are kind of out in the sticks here. Anyone from a higher class could have looked like nobility to him."

Link gave him a dry look. "Now why would that offend me?"

"I'm just saying we can't take him absolutely at his word."

Link pushed his breath out. "Which makes the odds of finding these guys a lot worse." Sheik grunted in agreement. "So what do we do?"

"Nothing," Sheik answered flatly.

"But–"

"Until we can find the guys who did this, there isn't anything we can do. For now, let's focus on that artifact."

Link sighed again, this time in frustration. "You're right."

Sheik sat up and smiled. "I always am, Hero." Link calmly shoved him. Sheik laughed as he tumbled a few feet away before settling on the roof again. As he opened his mouth to respond, he froze. Link bolted upright. Sheik turned and stared over his left shoulder with a horrified look like Link had never seen before. Creeping forward silently, Link saw what had caught his attention.

"Sweet merciful Faroru! What is that?"

Coming up the main street in a stilted stalk was a dog. Or at least it had been a dog once. Mostly bones, with only scraps of rotting skin clinging to the bleached bones, and empty eye sockets glowing with fierce pinpoints of red light, it moved quietly down the middle of the dirt road. Its jaw was slightly open in what might have been a snarl on a living creature.

Then the screaming started.

A young woman, only a summer or two younger than Link, was the first villager to spot the beast. Her terrified, high-pitched shriek made Link's ears ring, even from on top of the roof. "So much for a few moments of quiet observation."

Link lunged off the roof, rolling as he hit the ground and drew his sword in one smooth motion. The dog, such that it was, seemed unperturbed by all the activity, keeping its pace even as it stalked closer. Link waved his sword threateningly, but the thing was non-pulsed by the action.

A rock the size of an egg zipped over his shoulder and struck the dog in the skull. It rocked back from the impact and stopped for a moment, almost as if perplexed, then moved on. Link glanced back to see Sheik holding both swords in one hand, while bouncing another rock in the other. Sheik shrugged helplessly.

Curious, Link took several strides closer to the creature. He was about ten feet away when the head turned with a creak of bone on bone, and the red lights in the empty sockets grew larger and brighter. The dog opened its jaws in a silent roar and lunged. Automatically, Link brought his sword up and sliced the creature's head off.

The dog collapsed into a heap of bones while the skull bounced down the street, the red lights gone from the eyes. Link skewered the skull on the Master Sword through the now truly empty sockets and lifted it for closer inspection. If he had not seen it walking around just moments ago, he would have thought it a perfectly normal skull of a long deceased beast.

Sheik took the skull from him with one of his own swords, also seemingly hesitant to touch the thing, and studied it as well. "Magic, it has to be."

"But how?"

Sheik shook his head and let the skull slide from his blade and back to the ground. "I'm more concerned with the why, Hero. Holy Din!" The skull at his feet was abruptly covered by earth and vanished. All around them there was a creak and clatter of bones. Link and Sheik turned back to back, facing out into a small sea of skeletal beasts that rose from the ground around them. Most were like the one they had just seen, but a few in the back were as large as draft horses. All of them had eyes that glowed bright red.

"Everyone inside!" Link ordered as he raised his sword and shield. The beasts charged. Keeping their backs together, Link and Sheik met the attack. Bones broke as steel cut. Skulls tumbled to the ground and skeletons clattered into heaps. It took only fifteen minutes for them to lay the fleshless army to waste.

Both men stood among the scattered bones, panting. Sheik wiped his brow on the back of his blue-clothed arm. "That was odd."

"Well, at least we don't have to bathe again." Link offered.

Sheik began to reply, but was interrupted as the bones around them vanished into the earth with a great clatter. Then the ground groaned and more skeletal dogs rose up. "Oh, shit."

Link struck out with his sword, cutting down the first of the dogs. "How exactly do we beat something we can't kill?"

"Magic?" Sheik suggested as he struck out with his foot, decapitating one of the beasts.

Link grunted as one of the horse-sized beasts rammed his shield. "What kind?"

Sheik did not answer as he was attacked by three skeletons at once. "Go with Light, it's the trump card."

Link nodded as he spun his sword and pushed magic into the blade. The mirror bright sword began to glow golden, lighting up the street and casting everything into sharp relief. "LIGHT!" Link yelled, unleashing the power in all directions in a blaze that turned night into day. In the power's wake, the skeletons had vanished.

Sheik tucked his twin swords away. "That's how to show them, Hero."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm the best. You may fall on your knees and worship me now," Link laughed.

Sheik snorted. "I'll worship your ass right after I kiss Meredith full on the mouth." The ground rumbled underfoot. "Oh, for Din's sake, you have got to be kidding me!" Skeletons again rose from the ground.

"What is this? A curse?" Link snapped as The Master Sword sang out of its sheath again.

Sheik glanced at him as the beasts closed in. "Maybe it is. Could you dispel it?"

"I don't know."

"Try. I'll cover you."

Link took a deep breath and nodded. Together they began to move, shifting towards a building that would guard their backs as Sheik took on the beasts full force. It had been a long time since he had witnessed Sheik in full battle form. He practically flew over the ground, his twin blades invisible as they slashed and blocked with graceful ease.

Pulling his mind away from the fight and focusing on the task at hand, Link raised his sword and closed his eyes. He could feel the warm hum of the sword, something he had grown so used to he only felt it now when he concentrated. Right now the hum was quick, agitated, anxious. He pushed past that, feeling for the part of the sword that reacted to the whole of Hyrule. It came to him as a low throb that was more of an echo in his bones then a vibration against his skin. The Master Sword suddenly felt very heavy.

The tip of the sword brushed the ground and he felt it, like a stone striking the blade, a darkness echoing up the metal and into his arm. He could feel it as it wrapped around his hand, crawling under his skin and seeping into his bones. The blade and his skin both turned black. Reflexively, he shoved back, fighting the darkness with light. His skin and the blade returned to normal, and where the blade touched, the ground began to glow. But as soon as he stopped, the darkness began to creep back in.

Link picked up his sword, then shoved it into the ground and put both hands on the pommel. Closing his eyes, he gathered all the magic he could find, pulling it from all around him. As he worked he felt the darkness reach the blade again. It slid up the blade like slime. Just as it reached the hilt, Link lashed out.

Light slammed down the blade and out into the earth, racing outward. As it passed under the beasts they collapsed to the ground. The light rushed on, racing across the land of Hyrule and beyond. When Link could no longer feel it moving away he opened his eyes. The world was a blur and his ears were ringing. He saw a brief image of Sheik walking towards him, then the ground rushed up at him.

Sheik swore as Link fainted, dropping his own swords to catch the younger man before he hit the ground. He grunted from the effort; the little farmboy had put on a lot of muscle recently. He set the other man on the ground and retrieved his own swords, but it quickly became apparent that the beasts would not rise again. He put his swords away and retrieved a scrap of thick wool from his pouch, wrapping it around his hand.

"I'm just going to put you away, so play nice," he huffed and grabbed the Master Sword by the hilt. He yanked it from the ground and, after wiping it against his leg to removed the dirt, shoved it back into its sheath.

"You swoon like a schoolgirl."

Link rolled over to see Sheik sitting on the windowsill, one leg hanging out into nothing, while he watched the sky and ate a biscuit. He was not sure how long he had been out, but the sun was already high in the sky. Stretching, he sat up and rubbed his stiff neck, a smile on his lips.

"It must be hard work, being the lowly sidekick of the Great Hero of Hyrule. I understand your jealousy."

Sheik pulled up his mask as he turned towards the room, his eyes narrowed. "Careful, Hero. I can still kick your farmboy ass in thirty seconds flat." Link chuckled as he climbed out of bed. "Good to see you can lift curses in a pinch, though."

"I didn't lift it," Link admitted with a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how."

Sheik frowned. "Then what did you do?"

"Diluted it with Light."

"I don't follow," Sheik said as he stepped to the floor and came to stand in front of Link.

Link stood and stretched his sore muscles. "Think of it like putting a drop of blood in a barrel of water, then stirring it around. The blood is still there, even though you can't see it."

"Crass, but I get your point." Sheik shook his head. "Another thing to deal with at another time. Let's get out of this town before something else happens." He nodded towards their belongings that he had obviously packed while Link slept. "I've already made our goodbyes."

It took a little more than an hour for them to get out to the village. Though they had been greeted with fear and silence, people came out of the woodwork to bid them farewell. By noon they had left the farmlands and were once again in the open spans of Hyrule Field. They found a grove of trees where they could stop for lunch. Link broke some cheese and bread from their supplies and leaned back against a tree.

"How far to Lake Hylia?" he asked lazily.

Sheik looked up at the sky, then scanned the horizon. "Before nightfall, if we ride hard. But I don't think there is a good place to stop between here and there."

Link shrugged. "We've slept in the open before."

Sheik smiled. "It's not that. There have just been reports of bandits in the area. Officially, if I tangle with them, I have to arrest them. And that is a pain in the ass."

"What bandit in his right mind would attack us?" Link asked incredulously as he broke off a bite of bread. "Discreet we aren't." He put the bread in his mouth.

"True," Sheik agreed. "But most people become bandits because they lack the brains for much else."

Link chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes, then shrugged. "Then let's head for the lake. Traveling in the dark hasn't killed me yet and I'm not feeling the need to kill people if I don't have to."

"Works for me," Sheik agreed, sitting down next to Link and pulling down his mask to enjoy his own lunch. Link noted that he sat so the scarred side of his face was out of view.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, watching the horses graze and enjoying their meal. Finally, Link heaved a sigh and turned to the other man. "Will you beat my ass if I ask about your face?"

Sheik glanced at him without turning, his lips curled up in a smile. "I never need an excuse to beat your ass, Hero." The smile faded. "But I'd prefer you didn't."

Link looked back at the horses, licking his lips thoughtfully. "Did Meredith do it?"

It was Sheik's turn to sigh. "You won't let this go, will you." It was not a question. "No, not Meredith."

Link glanced at him again. "Ganon?"

Sheik snorted. "No, I'd be proud of it then."

"Thorvald." Link's expression darkened. Sheik nodded. "I should have let you kill him."

Sheik let out a bark of laughter. "No, Hero, you had it right the first time. But I appreciate the sentiment."

They finished their meal and collected their horses. The ride to Lake Hylia was peaceful and uneventful. The sun sank lower in the sky as they made their way into the canyon that would lead them to the lakefront. The only river that fed into the lake crashed noisily beside them, sending up a chilling spray of fine mist. Overhead an evening storm rumbled and threatened to drench the land.

They took no notice of the small branch that snapped beneath the horses' hooves, or the sudden rush of air behind them. They did, however, take note when the log hit them both from behind and sent them tumbling over the heads of their horses. Both equines panicked and bolted. There was another snap and another log fell from the cliffs above, dragging up the leaf-covered net they had landed on, and hit the water with a splash. Link and Sheik slammed against each other as the small net closed. Leaves spilled to the ground below in a quiet rustle unheard over the rushing water.

Link pushed off Sheik's chest and grabbed a side of the net, bringing himself to a more upright position. Sheik grunted and rubbed his head as he righted himself as well. "I don't care what happens, we never speak of this moment again."

"Well, lookie at the pretty fish we caught in our net, boys."

Link and Sheik looked down. About six feet below stood a group of over a dozen men in various states of filthy dress. They had threadbare pants and old boots. Some had tunics, some did not. All were armed with swords that appeared to be Royal guard castoffs, crudely made bows, and hand-crafted daggers. Two of the men in the back of the group were holding Blu and Nightfire.

"Looks like a couple of richies," another man, with a large belly that overlapped his rope belt, laughed.

Sheik snorted. "All you caught in your net is a pair of tigers."

The man who appeared to be the leader, with his relatively clean and nice clothes, gave a sharp laugh. "Aww, the riches think that they can use those swords of theirs. How about we make a deal, Richie. These be some nice horses you got here. We'll be taking them and all the rupees in your purses, and you get to walk away without a scratch on your well polished swords."

"Get your hands off my horse," Link snarled.

"Now, now, Richie, it don't have to be like that." He made a motion to the man behind him and was given a battered pike. "Now, be good boys and tied your purses onto this, then we can talk about getting you down."

Link and Sheik exchanged looks as the pike's head poked through the net uncomfortably close to Link's thigh. Sheik nodded and Link grabbed the spearhead and yanked, pulling the surprised bandit off balance. Then Link shoved, jamming the pole hard into the man's gut. The bandit grunted in pain, then shoved back on the pike. Link went with the motion, using it to relieve the man of his weapon. He smiled at the cursing bandit.

The man snatched a second pike from one of the men and jabbed it viciously at Link. There was a flash of sunlight on steel and both pike and net were cut easily in two. Both men landed on their feet, weapons drawn.

"Let's try a new deal," Sheik offered with a smile. "You let the horses go and run away now, and we won't chase you."

"Aren't you a little outnumbered to be so cocky, Richie?" the leader asked, unsheathing his battered sword. The other men did the same. Link and Sheik exchanged looks. "Kill them and take anything of value." The group of men surged forward, weapons raised.

Link caught one man on his shield and blocked another man's attack with his sword. He shoved hard, tumbling both men back into their companions. A sickle on a chain whipped past his head and then snapped back. Link ducked, but still lost his hat as it was neatly sliced in two. When the sickle made a return trip, he struck out with his sword, wrapping the chain around the blade and giving it a firm yank. The man wielding it stumbled forward in surprise, knocking two more men off their feet as he fell.

Shaking the chain off, Link caught a blow from a dagger on his shield as he made a swipe with his sword, cleaving the man's arm off. Without hesitating, he spun on his heel and slammed the blade home through another man's chest. Placing his foot against the man's stomach he pulled his sword free, using the momentum to crush another attacker's nose with his elbow.

There was a shout and the men scattered, leaving behind the horses and those who could not keep up. Link watched them go with a frown, then looked down at the man lying at his feet. His sword dripped blood onto the grass. The man looked back at him without seeing as he gasped for his final breaths; blood seeped between his lips and he made an odd gurgling sound. Link felt sick as he backed up a step.

Sheik looked up from wiping blood off his swords. "You okay, Hero?" Link only shook his head as he looked between his bloody sword and the dead man. Sheik sighed and tucked his sword away. "Not all monsters have fangs and claws, Link."

"But...he..."

"Would have killed you given the chance." He thrust a rag into Link's hand as he walked over to the horses.

"We can't leave them here...like this," Link protested as he cleaned his sword.

Sheik rolled his shoulders as he mounted his horse. "Don't worry; their friends will be back for them."

Link hesitated. "How do you know?"

Sheik motioned for him to mount. "Because," he went on as Link climbed onto his horse. "These men are like family. They have little but each other and will go to great lengths to protect that." Link looked over his shoulder at the bodies still lying by the river and shuddered.

Link slowly twisted his sword in the dirt, watching as the tip dug out a perfect conical divot. The moon was high and its silver light rippled across the surface of Lake Hylia. He knew what lay beneath the peaceful surface like few did.

"You haven't said anything in over three hours, Link," Sheik said as he sat by the fire. "Still sulking?"

"There are monster that live in that water, below the calm surface, ready to kill anyone who gets close."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "You did not just wax poetic about yourself as the lake, because if you did, I will beat your ass."

"You expect me not to feel anything after killing a man?"

Sheik calmly slid a sword from its sheath and began to slide a whetstone over the blade. "No. But I don't expect you to sulk, either. You've killed before, lots of times and for many reasons. How is this any different?"

"He was...Hyrulian."

"Yes. So? Does that endow him with some magical right to harm and kill others without consequences or fear of rebuff? We wear our swords openly Link, and we make no secret of who we are. They chose to attack us."

"How can you be so callous?" Link snapped.

Sheik looked up from his stone. "Do you think only things with fangs and claws threaten the Princess?" Link stared at him, mouth working without sound. "Don't look so surprised. More than one of her political opponents has sent an assassin after her. If she were perfectly safe in that castle, she'd have no use for me."

"Then what are you doing out here with me?"

"For one, she's not completely helpless. For another, I didn't leave her unguarded."

Link let out a sigh and returned to watching his sword dig into the ground. "Does it get easier?"

Sheik did not answer as he put one sword away and brought out the other. "Everything gets easier with practice." Link frowned. "Just try not to think about it too much, Hero. Get some sleep and the morning will look better."

"Okay."

Link woke the next morning with Sheik's boot nudging him in the ribs. Groaning, he swung absently at the older man who easily dodged. "Wake up, before we miss the best time."

Link rolled over and glared at him. "Best time for what?"

"Fishing."

Link blinked at him then slowly sat up. "We fish all the time."

"But not in Hylia. Get up."

Rubbing his eyes, Link stretched and grabbed his clothes, including an extra hat. After dressing, Link wandered down to the shore to find Sheik baiting the hooks with some grubs. He took the proffered rod and flopped down on the lakebank. The sand was cool and moist from the morning dew and a warm fog rolled off the water. He cast his line as far as the simple cane pole would allow and waited.

The sun crept higher in the sky, clearing the fog and warming the sand. After a while, Link kicked off his boots and let his feet rest in the shallow water. The sand around him warmed as it remained cool under him. Relaxing, he closed his eyes, keeping one hand on his pole as he began to doze.

A slight tug at his line startled him awake. Link sat up, surprised to see his bobber dipping sharply into the water. "Hey, I caught something!" he said in loud whisper. Sheik stirred, having fallen asleep as well.

"Bring it in, Hero," he said groggily. Link nodded and when the bobber next dipped below the water, he pulled; and was promptly yanked off the bank and into the water. Link came up sputtering. Kaimana came up next to him, laughing. Sheik cackled, and Link glared at both of them in turn.

"Water," he growled. The lake surged up around him, throwing the Zoran Prince onto the bank and drenching Sheik in the process. It did nothing to squelch their laughter, but made Link feel better.

"Your magic has gotten much better," Kaimana said when he got control over himself. "What brings you both back to Hylia?"

"Errand for Zelda," Sheik said, wringing the water from his clothes.

"She wanted fish?" Kaimana asked. "Isn't sending you two a bit overkill?"

Link snorted as he shook the water from his hat. "Nah, there's a crazy duke from another country at the castle. He claims an artifact was stolen from his people and hidden somewhere in Hyrule."

Kaimana pursed his lips, his good humor fading. "You too? It must be very important to have so many people looking for it."

It was Sheik's turn to frown. "Who else is looking?"

"Archelaus Thorvald has been asking about it. He's being very... persistent."

Sheik swore and Link sneered. "What does he want with it?"

"I don't even know what _it_ is," Kaimana confessed as he slipped back into the water. "If I did, I would have given it to him a long time ago, just to get him out from under my scales."

"Wish we could tell you," Link said as he sat back down on the bank. "Our only clue is that it is found 'where the earth meets the sky.'"

Kaimana made a face and floated on his back in the water. "Okay, I can see why you would come here, but why would Meredith come to our Domain?"

"He's an idiot," Link offered.

Sheik snorted. "No, he's lazy. He wants the Zora to do the work of finding it and just hand it over to him."

"Regardless," Kaimana sighed. "What am I going to do about him? I don't have anything to give him, and he refuses to leave. And the servant with him is... strange."

"Strange how?" Link asked as he summoned a bit of water from the lake and bounced it between his hands like a ball.

"He's...not right. Almost completely covers his face, and his eyes...creepy."

Link and Sheik exchanged looks. "Does he wear black and red?" Sheik asked.

"Yeah," Kiamana responded with surprise, sitting up in the water again. "You know him?"

Sheik frowned. "We know his handiwork. Take us to them, we need to chat."

The Zora snorted. "I know that tone. You are going to chat with your fists."

Sheik grinned. "Would that be a problem?"

"Not as long as I get to hold him down."

They surfaced inside the large pool of the Zora's Domain and Link and Sheik pulled down their breathing cloths. After tucking their horses safely away in a stable the Zora had set up at the lake, they had swum through the underwater caverns that connected the Domain with the lake. It had taken hours. Link suspected Kaimana could have swum it in a third of the time had he been alone.

The cavern still glowed blue with luminescent moss and the roar of the waterfall filled the air. Other Zora rose in the water around them, greeting their prince and bowing to Link and Sheik. The Prince gestured to a Zora with sea-green fins and told him to have the royal guest rooms prepared.

"That really isn't necessary," Link pointed out.

"And ruin a perfectly good chance to piss off his Royal Highness? I think not," Kaimana replied. He led them to the far side of the pool and up a narrow ledge that almost circled the main pool before disappearing behind the waterfall. The room was huge, taking up most of the side of the cliff. Large, shallow pools covered in floating plants served as beds alongside traditional straw mattress wrapped in fine silk sheets and warm woolen blankets. How they kept those dry with the waterfall forming a large window, Link could only guess. Also in the room was a writing desk and a wardrobe.

"Dibs on the bed," Link said.

"Flip you for it?" Sheik asked with a wide grin.

Link dodged out of reach. "Not a chance." Kaimana laughed and shook his head as he walked away. Link waited for the Zoran prince to disappear before turning back to Sheik. "So, what is the game plan here?"

"Wait and watch."

"I will not be kept waiting a moment longer!" Archelaus's voice echoed around the cavern from behind the waterfall. "I demand to speak to the council this instant!"

"Or, not," Sheik finished. They moved back out from behind the waterfall to see that Archelaus and a man dressed in black from head to toe had stopped Kaimana at the bottom of the ramp. The Zoran prince had his arms crossed and his posture stiff.

"And I have told you, the council has been called," Kaimana spoke as if through clenched teeth. "However, as I have told you before, Ikaika and Tangaroa have traveled out of the kingdom and will not be back until the new moon. So you will have to wait."

"Here it comes," Sheik said in a loud whisper that carried easily. Link bit his cheek to keep from laughing. "I've heard this speech before. 'Don't you know who I am? Blah blah blah Lord Thorvald's son. Blah blah blah bow down and kiss my ass.'"

Archealus's eyes snapped to them and he sneered. The man in black looked at them as well, but what little they could see of his expression remained neutral. "What are you doing here?" he snarled.

"Judging by the fun little encounter we had with your father, I'd say you already know." Sheik advanced on the other men with a casual air. Link followed, his teeth still closed over his laughter. "But unlike you, we know the Zora don't have it. So if you will move your royal ass off the road, we are going to go find a hot meal and get some good rest before we set out again." He pushed between the two men, knocking Archealus off the ledge and into the pool below. "Oopsie." The man in black glared. Below, Archealus came up sputtering and cursing.

"I'd say that was unnecessary, but I'm sure you don't care," Link said even as he grinned.

"Not one damn bit, Hero."

It did not take long for them to find a Zora who could guide them through the maze of tunnels and pools to what passed as a Zoran kitchen. It was a large room, half sunken and filled with water. The pool was part garden, part aquarium, and part insectarium. Hundreds of fish swam in and out of a forest of water plants, while water bugs darted about or glided over the surface. A Zora swam gracefully among the plants as well, doing what looked very much like gardening.

The other side of the room looked almost like the kitchen in Hyrule Castle. Pots and pans hung from the low ceiling, a fire burned in a pit with a chimney taking the smoke out, and the largest Zora Link had ever seen was giving them a huge smile. "What can I get for the Hero of Hyrule and the Princess' personal guard?"

Link's stomach growled. "Anything hot and fresh. I've had my fill of travel food."

The Zora clapped his hands and the one tending to the garden surfaced. "For the special guests we have special fish. Hyrulian Loach. Now, shoo." He waved them out of the kitchen. "Go make yourselves comfortable and I will bring it to you." They found themselves whisked into another room. It took Link a minute to realize it was the council room, but the table and chairs had been removed. In their place was a much less ornate set up.

Kaimana was perched at the head of the table, a big grin splitting his thin lips. "Brilliant."

"Don't encourage him," Link snorted.

"Encourage? Never. Help? Absolutely."

Link rolled his eyes. "Fine, you have to widen the tunnels so we can get his head through." Link ducked as Sheik took a swing at him. Kaimana laughed. Link straightened his tunic with dignity while sticking his tongue out at Sheik. "So, who is short, dark, and creepy?"

Kaimana shrugged. "Archealus calls him Serkan. Never seen him before. For all I can tell, he's mute."

"I've never seen him before either," Sheik added.

Link wrinkled his nose as he sat down to Kaimana's left. "Something isn't right about him. He makes my skin crawl."

Sheik sighed as he sat down opposite Link and the room suddenly grew tense. "I suppose he would. He's a Shadow magic user. They are rare and you have probably never met one before besides those witches."

"So he's evil?"

Sheik shook his head. "It's not that simple, Hero. Shadow magic, like all the others, is not inherently evil. Wind can scatter pollen and seeds, but too much causes destructive tornados. Everything in the world needs water to live, but too much causes floods. Light gives us warmth and helps the world to grow, but too much can parch the land or blind the eyes. Shadow is no different, it gives shelter, cools, and conceals, but too much and we grow cold and lose our way. Or worse, it consumes us whole.

"That said, the dark by its very nature scares people, and those who choose to wield Shadow magic usually do so because they want to scare people, as well."

"Can you do any Shadow magic?" Link asked.

Sheik rolled his shoulders in a half shrug. Lifting his hand, he narrowed his eyes in concentration, then slowly closed his hand into a fist. The room dimmed as if someone had suddenly doused a fire. Then, just as suddenly, everything became bright again. Sheik let out a tired breath. "It is not my strongest skill. I'm better with the elements and can't do Light at all."

At that moment the food arrived. The chef happily set covered trays before each of them before his assistant swooped in and poured them each a glass of cloudy blue liquid.

"So why do you think he is with Archealus?"

"Meredith likes to scare people into doing his bidding," Sheik offered as he uncovered his food.

"Hey!" Kaimana pouted when he saw he had been served bass. Sheik gave him a broad grin before digging into his loach.

"I don't know," Link said, taking a swallow of the liquid in his cup. "Meredith is a bully, but this guy is...something else." He cut off a bite of his loach and savored it. "He's just...I don't know...darker somehow."

Sheik shook his head. "I'm not doubting you, Hero. But we can't do anything without proof." Link frowned, but nodded in agreement.

Link sat up in bed, unsure why he was awake. They had continued talking well into the night about various things. But it left them no closer to finding the artifact or even a clue as to what it might be. Link and Sheik had returned to their room and fallen into bed. Over the dull roar of the falls, he could not hear anything. But still something rubbed against his senses, telling him the world was not as still as it seemed.

Sliding from under the covers, he grabbed his sword and padded barefoot around the room. Everything seemed in order, but he still could not shake the ominous feeling. Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up and he spun around. His eyes found the waterfall and widened. Hovering in mid-air, surrounded by the dull glow of the moss, was Serkan. The water kept him from seeing any details, except that the man had raised his arms.

Instantly, the water froze. One moment, it had been warm, flowing water; the next it was solid ice. The temperature of the air plummeted. The water under the lily where Sheik slept froze as well, trapping his leg that had been dangling in the water. The other man came fully awake with a curse and quickly found the best he could do was rise to an awkward kneeling position.

Link looked back at the wall of cascading ice, but the man in black was gone.

"Link, what's going on?" Sheik was trying to reach his swords that now lay out of reach with his leg trapped. Link walked over and handed him the swords while explaining what he had seen. Sheik frowned while he lit a small fire in his hand and began melting the ice around his leg. After a few minutes he was free. "I am so going to kick his ass."

"Well, first, we need to get out of this room."

"Preferably while not in our underwear." He gestured to Link, who still stood in only a pair of shorts.

"You're just jealous," Link scoffed as he went to get his clothes.

"Yeah, because I always wanted to be a skinny farmboy," Sheik shot back as he began to dress. Link only replied by sticking out his tongue as he pulled on his own clothes. Once dressed, they met at the wall of ice now blocking the entrance to their room. The falling water had cascaded down over the path, blocking it as well. Sheik prodded the ice with the hilt of a sword.

"What do you think?"

"This was no small feat of magic. He didn't just freeze the water; he froze the whole waterfall."

Link made a face. "I can see that."

Sheik shook his head. "No, I mean he didn't just freeze that water that was falling. Listen." Link titled his head as he listened, and then shook his head. "There's no water falling at all. He didn't just freeze what was currently here, but all the way back up the falls. It could go as far back as Jubu-jubu's fountain."

Link gave a low whistle. "Any idea how we get past it?"

"Carefully. If we just smash through, we could be sending huge shards of ice raining into the pool below."

Link nodded and lit a flame in the palm of his hand, keeping it small and hot. Slowly, he began melting a doorway into the ice, starting at the edge of the path and ending over his head. Then he slammed it with his shoulder. The ice in the doorway fell out with a thump and the waterfall groaned overhead.

"Do you know what carefully means?" Sheik asked in a dry tone.

Link grinned and stepped out. His boot hit a patch of ice and came out from under him, sending him sliding down the path to crash into the wall below. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. "Yeah, yeah, stupid farmboy needs to look where he's going. Ha, ha."

"Hero, look." Sheik still stood at the top of the path, but even from there Link could tell his mouth was hanging open. Curious, Link peered around as well. He felt his jaw go slack. It was not just the waterfall that was frozen, but the entire Domain. Icicles hung from the ceiling, crystals of ice clung to the moss, and the main pool was frozen. With cautious steps he walked out onto the ice and looked down. Below, the world had stopped, frozen in time.

"Sweet merciful Din," he whispered as Sheik made a controlled decent down the slippery path. "How much power does it take to do something like this? Can we even undo it? Will they be okay?"

"I don't know, Hero."

Link made a non-committal noise and began walking towards the main tunnel, Sheik followed. Every drop of water in the entire Domain had frozen, leaving even the hallways and tunnels slippery with a thin sheet of ice. In the steeper passages, Link resorted to using the claw of his grappling hook to help him cling to the walls until he could find a place to brace himself and toss the rope down the Sheik. It made the going slow and took over an hour climb to path that led to the living quarters.

Sheik rubbed his eyes as he leaned against the wall to rest. "Is it getting dark in here? I am not so out of shape that a little ice climbing is making me lightheaded."

"It isn't you. The moss is dying," Link replied, running his hand over the wall, a frown firm on his face. He pulled his hand away, his fingers tipped with ice and black chunks of moss.

Sheik repeated the gesture and swore. After a moment he shook his head. "Nothing we can do about this now, let's go."

Link glanced around. "Where to? He could be anywhere, and he can fly."

Sheik frowned and drummed his fingers against the wall. "This is a major feat of magic he just pulled off. Even if he's just a one trick pony, and I doubt he is, this is going to take the wind out of his sails for a while. He's going to need to hole up and regain his strength. An hour, two at most before he can start spell slinging again, a week or more before he could pull off something this big again. Unless he's got a Deity in his back pocket, in which case he's your problem, since you're packing three."

Link snorted. "They aren't daggers hidden in my boot that I can pull out at will."

Sheik shrugged and they began moving. They tried to keep their steps light, but the thin sheet of ice covering everything made it hard not to slip, bumping into the walls and each other as they made their way through the fading light. The rooms in this part of the tunnels were for guests and all were empty, but a quick glance showed they had not been spared the freeze.

As they came to the top level of tunnels, Link had to bring a small ball of light up in his hand, as the dim glow of the moss faded into the midnight glow of a moonless night. The tunnel was wide and long, and Link had to lift the ball of light high overhead to see anything around them. Still he had to squint to see the evenly spaced pools of ice near each wall. Moving towards them he recognized the room.

"The Nursery," he murmured as he leaned closer to one of the pools. Below the smooth surface he saw a single Zoran egg. "Shit."

Sheik leaned over him and looked at the egg as well. "That's not good." Link rolled to his feet without a word and turned sharply on his heel. Sheik raised an eyebrow and followed. When they came to a door at the end of the hall, Link kicked it open with more force than was necessary, splintering the wood.

The room was empty, but looked well used. A trunk at the foot of the Hyrulian style bed stood open, showing an array of silk and satin clothes, mostly in shades of blue. A pallet lay on the floor, neat and tidy, with no signs of who was sleeping on it. With a growl, Link kicked the pallet, scattering its simple pillow and blanket. He moved on and flipped the trunk, sending clothes across the floor. He kicked the trunk, smashing it against the far wall.

"Does this mean you won't stop me from kicking Meredith's ass?" Sheik asked, a smile hidden behind his mask.

"Only if you find him first. I'm going to search Jubu-jubu's pool."

"I'll take the council chambers." Sheik paused, then looked back, "Don't get in over your head, Hero." He watched as Link stormed up towards the throne room and the Zoran Deity. His stride was long and confident, no longer the pace of the farmboy he had once been. Sheik smiled to himself and turned away. Lighting a fire in his palm, he began to descend carefully into the lower chambers where the council lived and met.

By now the moss had all but given out, leaving him in a dark, downward sloping tunnel coated in ice. The flickering circle of his flame gave him only a few feet of warning about what was ahead. Bracing his other hand against the wall for balance, he half slid down the tunnel. As it leveled out, it widened. On his right were two doors. One led to the large meeting room, the other down again to the main pool; on his left were seven doors leading to the council members' chambers. At the far end of the hall stood the fancy doors leading to the Royal chambers, Kaimana's on the right and his parents on the left.

Sheik headed across the room to the door on the right.

The large room was dark and he raised his flame higher to give him a larger circle of flickering gold. Kiamana was still in bed, but unlike the guest beds, his had no giant lily pad to keep him out of the water. Instead it was a simple duvet in the floor, filled with water. Or it had been. Now the water had turned to solid ice, encasing the prince's body within. His head rested on the pool's edge, frost turning his skin a strange blue-white.

Sheik carefully knelt next to the Zoran Prince and placed a hand on his forehead. Kaimana's eyes snapped open and Sheik jumped. His lids drooped, then closed again. The Zora shivered as best he could, then went limp.

"Kaimana!"

"He won't wake."

Sheik spun to his feet – sword in one hand, fireball in the other. The man in black stood behind him, his blood red eyes glowing in the golden light. Sheik sneered and the other man grinned. Serkan took a step closer. "Careful, little boy, playing with fire can get you burned." There was a soft puff of breath and Sheik's fireball went out like a snuffed candle, plunging them into blackness.

Sheik swallowed as he fumbled for his other sword. The metal sang as it left its sheath, but no other sound filled the darkness. He took quick stock of the situation. He knew the room well, even in the dark he could find his way around. At the very least, he had the home field advantage. Then there were his swords, Sarken had not been carrying any that Sheik had seen during their brief encounter. Even if he concealed smaller weapons, he would have to get inside Sheik's strike range to use them, and range weapons were all but unusable in the dark.

There was a soft chuckle somewhere behind him, and then Sheik was thrown from the room; not by physical or magical force, simply launched into the air. He hit the wooden door as if he had been thrown from a horse, smashing through it and tumbling across the icy floor of the council hall, his swords clattering away in the darkness. Sheik blinked and groaned as he got to his feet.

Again he found himself alone in the darkness. No sound or shift of air indicated where the man in black might be. Suddenly he was thrown again, this time slamming hip first into a wall before hitting the floor. With great effort he kept himself from yelping in pain and quickly began crawling away from where he landed. He was not sure where in the hall he was, but he was not going to stick around where he landed just to be attacked again.

The heel of a boot came down hard on his spine and twisted. Sheik looked up to see Sarken's eyes glowing in the darkness. The whites were gone, leaving the blood red irises to expand around pupils that had turned to cat-like slits. "Bad boy." Sheik felt him shift his weight before the other boot connected with his head. Sheik saw stars as he skidded across the floor and hit another wall. The force hit him again, spinning him a few feet more, where the floor began to slope. Gravity took over and he began to slide, bumping back and forth against the tunnel walls. Every so often the force would slap him again, keeping him sliding and spinning, until he had to squeeze his eyes shut in a futile effort to not be sick.

Finally he stopped. His eyelids burned red from a sudden flash of light. Carefully, he pried them open, blinded by a hot white light. He lay face down on the ice that had been the main pool, the light reflecting off the surface and giving the whole room a faint glow. Pushing himself to his hands and knees he looked around.

A chuckle drew his attention to his left. Sarken came walking out onto the ice, Sheik's swords clutched in his hands. Sheik growled and shoved himself upright. "Coward."

"Stubborn little boy." Sarken slammed the blades into the ice as he closed the distance between them, and without preamble drove his fist into Sheik's gut. His knee came up, snapping Sheik violently back upright, before Sarken slammed the heel of his hand into Sheik's sternum. Sheik tumbled backwards to land on his back on the ice. "Now stay." He waved his hand and the swords leapt from where he had left them and stabbed themselves through Sheik's palms. "Good boy."

Sarken's eyes had lost their pupils all together, leaving nothing but glowing red. He made a slow circuit around Sheik, inflicting petty injuries as he went. Sharp nails cut into his cheeks, slicing easily through his mask. A boot to the ribs snapped bones. Stomping on ankles until they cracked. More nails on flesh, leaving five bloody parallel lines down his torso. Sarken finally stopped with his back to the frozen waterfall as he licked the blood from his fingers.

"Blood on ice is so pretty, won't you agree?" Sheik glared back, his jaw clenched shut. Sarken reached up and pushed at the fabric covering his head, sliding it back like the hood of a cloak. Beneath was a face of porcelain skin delicately laid over refined bones that carried an ageless grace. Smooth, slim, blue lines started at the corners of his mouth, following his jaw-line, before sweeping upwards to disappear at his temples. Another jagged green line slashed across his forehead. His hair was silver, not grey, but a shimmering silver.

"Well, it's been fun, but it's in my best interests to kill you. Be a good boy and scream for me." Sarken raised his hand over his head as darkness gathered around it.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Masquerade**_

_Chapter 6_

Link waved vaguely back at Sheik as he started up the gentle slope that led to the throne room and Jabu-Jabu's fountain. The slick floor slowed him down, but the slope was low enough that he did not need to grapple his way up. The ball of light bobbed in his hand, casting a circle that gave him only a few feet of illumination in every direction.

His footsteps echoed in the darkness. In a place where the roar of water and the chatter of people was the norm, the sound was creepy. Unlike many of the other tunnels, the one leading up to the throne room did not branch or have rooms. It meant he only had to keep watch ahead and behind, but it also gave him nowhere to hide in a pinch. Quietly, he drew his sword.

He reached the throne room without incident. The Zoran throne room was small by comparison to the one in Hyrule castle. Part of the river that fed the waterfall bisected the room; the water frozen in crystal stillness. On his side was a small raised platform that was suspended over the water, on the other was a throne carved into the stone. He knew that behind the throne was the entrance to Jabu-Jabu's fountain.

Sitting on the throne, his legs draped casually over one arm, was Archelaus.

"Took you long enough," the young noble said as he cleaned his nails with a knife.

Link's eyes narrowed and his grip on the Master Sword tightened. "What have you done?"

Archelaus did not even look up at him. "Nothing you can prove, peasant."

Link rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know this dance. I'm a peasant, you're a noble, I should lick your boots. Bite me."

Archelaus finally looked up at him and sneered. "I see you also picked up that filthy mongrel's manners. No matter, soon you will both be out of my hair."

Link gave him a flat look. "Let me guess, you'll find the artifact and use its unknown powers to take over Hyrule and be king."

Sheik's scream of pain rang through the domain. Archelaus gave a slow smile. "No, I'm just going to kill you." Link spun to race back down the tunnel, but found the way blocked by a series of stalagmites that had sprung up without a sound. Behind him, Archelaus continued talking, but Link ignored him. There were only two other ways out of the room, one lead to Jabu-Jabu's fountain, the other was the waterfall.

His boots slipped over the ice as he made the short jump from the platform to the river, but he quickly regained his balance and sprinted towards the falls. The first thing he noticed was the light. A shining orb hung over the main cavern, its light glistening off the ice, illuminating the entire main cavern in a prism effect. Link skidded to a stop at the edge of the falls, scrambling a little to keep from tumbling over. Below, Sheik had been crucified to the ice with his own swords as the man in black delighted in tormenting him.

"I can stop this, you know," Archelaus purred as he sauntered up the river. "Just a word from me and Sarken will release the mongrel. All I ask in return is the Master Sword."

"You son of a bitch," Link hissed.

"It's a simple choice." The young noble gave him an oily smile. "What's more important, a sword, or your friend?"

"Be a good boy and scream for me." Sarken's voice floated up from below, full of joy and malice. Link looked back over his shoulder to see Sarken levitate several feet off the ice and raise his hand, darkness gathering in his palm.

"Time's up. Choose." Archelaus extended his hand. Link glanced between the noble and Sheik. It was not a conscious decision; he did not even think about it or realize a choice had been made. In the next instant Archelaus's eyes widened. Link heard his boot scrape across the ice, and then he was free falling. Calling up wind, he directed his flight and raised his shield, aiming for the man in black.

Link slammed into Sarken, shield first. The other man let out a shout of surprise and lost hold of his spell as Link's weight and momentum forced him chest first to the ice. The ice cracked and groaned under the sudden weight as the two young men landed in a heap. For a moment, silence reigned, except for Sheik's ragged breathing, then Link groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees.

"Look, then leap. Ow, Din, that hurt."

A hand with claw-like nails shot up and grabbed him by the throat. "Not nearly as much as it is going to, boy!" Link got only a glimpse of blood-red eyes and a war painted face, before he was flung across the room like a rag doll. He hit a wall and bounced off, but as soon as he touched ice, he scrambled to his feet, sword and shield at the ready.

Sarken, however, was in no such hurry. The man in black hauled himself out of the small crater in a slow and deliberate manner. Link could not tell if he was badly hurt or simply being dramatic. Then Sarken raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Force, not of any element, neatly dodged his shield to slam into his left shoulder. He spun wildly, bouncing off the wall again. Catching himself before he fell to the ground, Link growled at Sarken. He gave his shoulder a discreet roll, the bones complained, but nothing was broken.

Sarken frowned and flicked his wrist again, but this time Link was ready. He caught the blast on his shield. The metal screamed and the force of the blow made his teeth rattle and his arm ache. Sarken hit him again and again. With each strike his frown deepened.

"What are you?" Sarken asked as he lifted his other hand and readied another blast. Link's whole body trembled and ached from the blows to his shield, he did not want to find out what the man could do with both hands. Slamming light into his sword, he attacked. With a slice of the blade he sent an arc of light at the other man. Sarken's eyes widened, but he was too close to dodge the attack. Sarken hit the far wall shoulders first, scattering rock and ice.

Sarken did not bounce. He hit the ice on his feet with a cat-like grace. Link pressed his advantage. The Master Sword flashed in the light as Link brought it down. Sarken slapped the blade aside with a clang then brought his hand back to Link's chest, darkness gathered in his palm. Link abruptly reversed direction. The blast was not strong enough to do more than shove him back and his boots skidded across the ice.

He lifted his sword and shield, ready for another attack, but Sarken simply stood there. The long sleeve of his shirt was split open to reveal a metal guard. The darkness danced around his hand as he studied Link through narrowed eyes, his head tilted to one side. "You aren't like the rest of them...and yet you look no different." The darkness danced higher and Link began to push light into his sword again. Sarken's eyes focused on the blade as it took on a golden glow. "Or perhaps it is not you at all."

The darkness whipped out lightning quick and wrapped around Link's wrist. It was colder than ice, a painful burning cold that sliced him to the bone without breaking the skin. Link yelped and yanked away, but the string of power connecting him to Sarken only stretched longer and squeezed tighter as it wound its way up his arm. Another tendril laced its way around his hand and began prying at his fingers. The harder he fought, the colder and sharper the darkness got; all the while Sarken stood by, watching impassively.

Link ground his teeth together and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on his sword. Beyond the tendrils of painful cold he felt the blade's warm hum, as familiar as if it had always been a part of him. He reached for it, embraced it, let it consume him. His body throbbed, and he heard the echoing voices of the spirits of the forest, water, fire, and wind. In a moment he felt the depths of Nayru's wisdom and bounty of Din's power, but above all he felt the boundlessness of Farore's spirit. The mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand began to tingle.

Link opened his eyes to find the Master Sword ablaze with energy and the Triforce glowing like a beacon. The tendrils of darkness withered like dying vines. Sarken's eyes were wide as he dropped his hold on his power. Link lunged. The blazing sword flashed forward and Sarken ducked and struck out with his foot, aiming at Link's ribs. His foot clanged off Link's shield. Then Link used the slab of steel and wood to slap him away.

Sarken tumbled across the ice like a tossed toy, but managed to gain his feet and launch an orb of black energy. Link was ready, batting the orb away with his sword and following it with an arch of light. The golden arc was faster, slicing through the orb before flinging the other man across the room to crash into the frozen waterfall. The ice broke, smashing and sending a rain of deadly shards down in a thunderous clatter.

Link waited, sword raised, but as the last shard shattered the Zoran Domain grew still and quiet. After a moment, he edged his way towards Sheik, who still lay pinned to the ice with his own swords.

Before he could finish crossing the distance, the ice abruptly turned back into water, plunging them both into the depths of the main pool without ceremony. Link came up sputtering then quickly dove back down after Sheik. He need not have bothered. Zora, who had been trapped in the ice, caught Sheik as they rose to the surface.

Another Zora caught his arm and helped him to shore, as well. As his boots hit earth he stood up and faced the waterfall. Some of the moss had survived the ice, leaving just barely enough light to make out vague shapes. Still, it was enough for Link to see by. The cascading water roared in the dimness, suddenly very loud after so much silence. The water below was not darkened with blood, and every moving shape his eyes picked out was Zoran.

"Lord Link, you're bleeding," a Zora said to his right.

"It's nothing," Link said, not taking his eyes off the water. "Help Sheik. And find Archelaus Thorvald. Bring him in chains if you have to."

"But, Lord Li–"

"Now!" The Zora around him jumped in surprise, then several scurried to do as he ordered.

"Please, Lord Link," a female Zora said this time. "Your arm." Finally tearing his eyes away from the water, Link looked at his arm. In the still blazing light of his sword he saw the damage Sarken's power had done. The twisting coils stretched from his fingertips to his elbow. Blood oozed from the deep lacerations and the edges puckered where the skin had been burned. Only the metal on his gauntlet had survived, the leather having been sliced to ribbons.

The light faded from his sword as the adrenaline rush ebbed, taking with it the sight of his maimed arm. He felt the Zora help him the rest of the way to shore where other Zora had gathered. He heard Kaimana's voice giving orders, and felt someone begin field dressing his wounds. They helped him back to his feet and, at some point, he found himself in a bed. The straw mattress and thick comforter quickly guided him to sleep.

When he woke it was still dark, but pale pink light came in a steady glow from a bottle sitting on the nightstand. Inside, a fairy hovered as close to him as she could. The light also illuminated a slip of parchment held down by the bottle. He sat up and instantly regretted it. His whole body ached as if he had been run over by a herd of horses. Groaning he reached for the paper and the bottle.

As he did, his wounded arm came into view. His forearm, hand, and each finger had been wrapped in stiff, seaweed bandages that looked clean. Picking up the bottle and paper, he used the fairy light to get a better look. The pale yellow leaves were layered together to form a scale-like covering for his arm, but even with clearer light he could not see any bloodstains that would indicate the lacerated flesh beneath was still bleeding.

Satisfied, he turned to the parchment. He instantly recognized Kaimana's curvy scrawl, but it was slanted and blotchy as if he had stopped and started writing several times.

Link,

Use the fairy and come find me when you wake. I'll be around the main pool as much as possible.

Kaimana

Link popped the cork on the bottle and the fairy zoomed out to land on his nose. She blew him a kiss and then he was flushed with warmth. When it was over, Link found himself sitting in total darkness still stiff and sore, but to a lesser degree. Throwing off the comforter he felt the muted rush of cooler air that told him he was still fully dressed. Even his boots and sword were still on. It was just as well, he probably would have killed himself trying to find them in complete darkness.

Carefully he picked his way around the room until he found the door. The tunnels had been lit with torches every hundred feet, giving off flickering light which seemed strange in such a place. In the alien light, it took him a few tries to find his way, but he soon located the main pool.

The Zora, it looked like most of them, had gathered there. Some floated in the water, some stood in the shallows or on the bank. But they all hung close together, inside the perceived safety of the orange torchlight. Kaimana stood on a rock sticking out of the water, making him a head taller than the rest as he spoke. The queen and king were nowhere in sight.

As he came into the circle of torches, the Zora made way. Kaimana stepped down from his rock and placed his hands on Link's shoulders. "Sheik will be okay. He needs rest, but he will be fine in a few days." There was a sad sort of smile on his face. Link felt himself relax a few degrees. "Now tell me what in the name of the Goddesses is going on."

Taking a deep breath, Link related the evening. Everyone listened intently. When he finished, it was Kaimana's turn to take a deep breath. He bowed his head, seeming to collect himself before he looked at Link again. "I am once again in your debt. You have saved my people for a second time. Without you we would have all frozen to death."

Link glanced around at the Zora, the bottom of his stomach falling away. "Where is everyone?"

"Lighting torches, tending those waking more slowly, assessing damage, inventorying supplies..." he faltered for a moment. "Preparing funerals for those who did not wake."

"The eggs in the nursery..."

"Their fate still remains to be seen."

"I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry. Go check on Sheik. You know the way." He put a hand on Link's shoulder again. "When you are ready, we need to speak in private."

"Archelaus? Sarken?"

Kaimana smiled. "We will talk later." Link nodded and made his way back into the tunnels. He found Sheik in the same room just past the nursery where he had recovered during their last visit to the Zora Domain. This time, however, he was not dying. A torch had been lit in the room and Sheik sat up in bed nursing a bottle of potion and watching his hand.

"Hey," Link greeted.

"You know, Hero," Sheik said without looking up. "You never cease to amaze. Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and do something like this."

Link rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "Jumping off a frozen waterfall was kind of stupid."

"Kind of stupid? It was reckless, boneheaded, foolish, suicidal, and one of the bravest things I've ever seen anyone do." Sheik finally looked up at him. His mask was missing and the scar made his smile stretch oddly. "But that wasn't what I was talking about." He finished his potion and covered his face. "There at the end you...glowed. Not just your sword, but your hand too. How did you do that?"

Link only shrugged as he began to peel the seaweed bandage off his arm. Under neither the skin was almost perfect, except for a faint, thin scar that coiled and twisted around his forearm. The scar was not discolored but smooth and shiny. Link gave his hand an experimental squeeze, but did not feel any loss of mobility. He gave Sheik a lopsided grin. "Maybe I can pull them out of my boot when I need them." Sheik laughed, but it quickly turned into a cough. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, Hero. Nothing this," he held up the potion bottle, giving it a little shake, "and some rest can't fix."

"Then I should leave you to it. How long are you going to need?"

"A few days at least," Sheik replied as he lay back down. "That jackass gave me a serious beating. If you think you need to go on ahead, I'll catch up to you."

"That's not it." He pulled out his shield. The steel was warped and bent with numerous dents and the wood behind was cracked and splintered. "I need a new shield."

Sheik propped himself back up on one elbow and touched the ruined shield. "Holy Din." He shook his head. "I don't know where or even if you can get a new shield around here. You'll have to talk to Kaimana."

Link nodded and put the shield away. "He wanted to talk to me anyway."

Sheik's brow furrowed. "What about?"

"He didn't say." Link frowned. "Should I be worried?"

"There's no helping it. You better just go."

"All right. You rest."

Link left the room as Sheik lay back down. The tunnels were still empty as he made his way back to the main pool. The Zora still huddled together in the light of the torches with the guards standing on the outer edge. They began bowing as he approached. Kaimana was not among them. One of the guards directed him to the throne room. As he turned to walk away, two of them flanked him.

"You should stay here. I know the way."

"His Majesty has ordered that no one be alone until all the tunnels can be cleared," the female guard answered. "If something happened to you, he would de-scale us all."

Link sighed, too tired to argue. "What are your names?"

"Hokulani, My Lord," the female answered.

"Kaleo," the male replied. "It is an honor to serve you, Lord Link."

"It is nice to meet you both." They walked him to the throne room, where they took their places next to another pair of guards that flanked the doorway. Link walked in. Kaimana sat on the throne, his elbow resting on his knees, his head in his hands. "Kaimana?"

The Zoran Prince looked up at him, eyes tired. "Link. Welcome. How is Sheik?"

"Good." Link stepped up onto the small platform, the same one he had stood on mere hours ago. "What did you need to talk about? Or do we need to wait for the King and Queen?"

Kaimana took a deep breath and sat up fully on the throne. "They are among those who did not wake. I am the King Zora now."

"I'm sorry."

"I told you not to apologize. You've done too much for my people to be sorry for things beyond your control."

Link lifted his chin, then dropped to one knee. "How may I serve you, Your Majesty?

"You can start by never doing that again." Link could hear the amusement in Kaimana's voice despite the weariness. Link stood up and smiled a little. "And I will always be Kaimana to you." He let out a breath. "But to business. I need you to make a formal complaint to Hyrule about this incident."

"Me? Why?"

"Because we have no proof. There is no ice anywhere in the domain, no one remembers anything, Archelaus and his servant are nowhere to be found, and we have a lot of unexplained deaths, including my parents. Without proof I cannot accuse a noble of another kingdom of mass murder. It would more than likely blow up in my face. Positive relations between the Zora and Hyrule are essential to both races. You are Hyrulian, and you are both a noble and have good standing with the Royal family and the people in general. If you make the accusation it will hold more water."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just give your account of events in writing and send it to the Hyrule Royal family." Kaimana produced a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. "Preferably as soon as possible."

Link chuckled. "I can do that." A guard appeared from behind the throne. He took the parchment, ink, and quill onto a tray and walked around the small ledge that connected the throne to the lower half of the room and presented them to Link. "Got anything to write on?" The guard set the items aside and flipped the tray over and set it on the floor. It created a low table. Link sat down and began to write, Kaimana did not interrupt. When he finished the guard took the whole thing away. "Anything else?'

"Not at the moment," the young king sighed. "But I will let you know."

Link nodded. "In the meantime can you tell me where to get a new shield?" He lifted the battered metal plate for Kaimana to see. The Zora's brow lifted.

"Wow." He sat back in his seat. "The Zora don't use many weapons, but we do have use for some metal work. All I can offer you is the use of our forge."

Link frowned as he put his shield away. "I've never done something as large and complicated as a shield, but I think I can make something passable."

"One of the guards will show you the way."

Link bowed, recognizing the dismissal.

The forge was surprisingly cool. Wood was stacked to shoulder height along the wall to his right. The anvil, water bucket, and furnace stood on his left. Hammers, tongs, and other tools hung on the walls. Everything was neat, tidy, well maintained, and clearly had not been used in a long time. The water bucket was empty and the furnace had long ago been cleaned of ash. There was no spare metal to work with.

"What else can I do for you, My Lord?" Kaleo asked.

"I'll need water brought up for the bucket, and do you know where I can find some metal?"

Kaleo made a face. "We usually trade with the Gorons for rare metals. They are kept in the treasury until they are needed. But more common ores are sometimes washed out of the mountains and end up in Hylia."

"Then I guess I will need to borrow a hippocampus as well."

In all the chaos, it took less time than Link expected to get underway. It turned out that the network of submerged tunnels had not been frozen more than a few yard from where they connected to the Domain. Already Zora had been sent to collect moss from the walls that would be brought back to replenish what had been lost. When his request was made, Kaimana's own mount was brought to him along with another to use as a pack mule.

Tying the water cloth around his nose and mouth, he directed the horse down into the tunnels. Hakulani, on a hippocampus the color of sand, accompanied him. Link was glad for the help; the Zoran tunnels were confusing on the best of days, in the dark there was no telling where he would end up.

Along the way they passed several groups of Zora who were gathering mossy rocks or carefully chipping pieces from the wall. Each rock was wrapped in cloth and tucked safely away into the pack of a hippocampus. As they passed, the Zora took time to make polite gestures in his direction. "How is collecting these rocks going to help?" Link asked the guard.

The female Zora nodded towards a place where a new tunnel was under construction. It went beyond the light of the glowing moss, but around the edges of the tunnel the moss had begun to creep along the walls. "The Luminus Moss is quit invasive when conditions are to its liking. By taking it back to the Domain, it will eventually replace what was lost. In the meantime, it will light the pathways."

They emerged at the bottom of Lake Hylia, and Link realized it must be very early in the morning. The water was grey and cold, the surface overhead calm but clouded by fog. In the gloom he could make out where the temple of the water spirit once stood. Fish swam lazily by, taking no notice of them.

Link frowned. "Okay, I admit I have no idea where to start looking."

The guard chuckled. "The river mouth that flows down from Death Mountain is on the far side of the lake. It is where we find most ores. But occasionally we find some from mouths that flow from the mountain range beyond Hyrule's borders." Link nodded and followed Hakulani to the river mouth. They tied the hippocampii and swam against the river flow to where the soft sand and tumbled river rocks spilled into the lake in a fanning cascade.

Most of the rocks were nothing special. Grays and browns were the dominate colors, but each had been tumbled smooth so that it gleamed even in the morning light. Among the common rocks were a light smattering of precious stones. They too had been tumbled smooth, but they glittered more than shone.

"His Majesty said you may have whatever you wish," Hakulani said with a knowing smile. She offered him a basket made of stiff seaweed. Then she dug her hands into the sand and raked it down. Sand and rocks slid deeper into the lake. Link followed her example. It took the better part of the day, but between the two of them and several river mouths, they collected a dozen gray lumps of iron, plus dozens of other metals and gems that would be taken and put into storage.

By the time they returned to the Domain and put everything away, Link had just enough energy to shove some food into his mouth and fall into bed.

"So what exactly is the plan here?"

Link groaned and put a pillow over his face. "Go away."

The pillow was snatched away. "Is that anyway to speak to a Goddess, especially one that can kick your ass?"

Link sat up on his elbows and glared at the red-haired Goddess who had flopped down on the bed next to him. Din looked just as she had when he last saw her; red hair braided down her back, red tunic, tan pants, heavy boots, and everything trimmed in gold. "I'm tired, what do you want?" He glanced over at the bed Sheik slept in, but the other man was out cold.

Din smiled. "Relax, he won't wake. And I wish to know what you are going to do about your shield."

"Repair it until I can replace it," Link said flatly.

"You aren't a smith of any kind. What would you know about shield making?"

Link flopped back down. "It can't be that hard. Melt, shape, cool. Simple."

"Ahh. Boundless courage without the knowledge or the skill to go along with it. No wonder Farore chose you."

"Meaning what?" Link gave a sigh that turned into a yawn.

"Meaning you're more likely to burn your arm off than make a usable shield." She propped herself up on one elbow and smiled down at him. "But I can help you."

Link narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"Because I love my little sister, and she does so worry about you. Plus you have no idea what you are going up against and are very likely to get yourself killed."

Link sat up fully. "What was he?"

Din did not answer right away. "I cannot tell you that without affecting the choices you will make in the future. However, I can give you a tool with which to fight."

Link closed his eyes. "Okay."

"Sheik, wake up." Sheik came awake to find Kaimana gently shaking his arm. He had to blink a few times at his friend before he managed to sit up.

"What's wrong?" He scrubbed at his face in an attempt to wake up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Link's bed had been used, but the younger man was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Link?"

Kaimana frowned. "Link is the problem."

"What?" Sheik asked as he fumbled at his clothes.

"He's...I think he is sleepwalking. Or more correctly, he's sleep forging."

Sheik raised a hand for silence. "Kaimana, I am half asleep and have a throbbing headache. What are you talking about?"

The Zora let out a breath. "I told Link he could use the forge to fix his shield."

Sheik made a face before tying on his mask. "Does he know how to use one?"

"I don't know. But he went to the lake to gather materials swept down from the mountains. I thought he would start tomorrow, but one of the guards saw him starting the fires. He's not acting like himself. I'm worried."

Sheik pushed himself to his feet. His body was still a little sore, but nothing that would slow him down. "What do you mean by 'not himself'?"

"He's...he's barking orders. He snapped at me." Sheik raised a dark eyebrow at him. "I don't know how else to explain it. You have to see for yourself." They walked out into the tunnels, now dark except for the regular intervals of moss covered rocks. Kaimana led the way to the forge, where the red glow of fire poured out into the hall. The moist coolness of the Domain quickly gave way to a dry heat and the smell of wood smoke.

"Link?" Sheik asked as he looked around the corner. Link stood shirtless before the smelting pot working the billows. The red light playing over his sweating skin showed just how much muscle he had put on in the recent year.

Then he turned and looked at them. His blond hair was matted to his forehead and he used his arm to swipe it away from his red eyes. "What? I'm busy."

"Sorry," Sheik said as he raised both hands in a gesture of peace. "You are scaring people is all."

"I have limited time and much to do. Leave me." Link turned back to his work, dismissing them both. Sheik caught Kaimana's arm and pulled him from the room.

"Post some guards to make sure he isn't bothered, and someone to take care of him if he passes out."

"Do you know what is going on?" Kaimana asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Not exactly. I have some ideas, but nothing definitive. I've only seen him like this once before, and he got seriously sick afterwards."

Kiamana's brow furrowed. "Sick how?"

Sheik closed his eyes and shook his head. "Pain, terrible pain, for days afterwards. I've never seen anything like it. And that was after only a few minutes like this. If he's going to forge a whole shield like this, it may very well kill him. Or at the very least make him wish he was dead."

The young king nodded. "Stay with him until I can get guards on rotation. It may be a while; everything is still stretched pretty thin."

"Send food and water this way. I'll see if I can get him to at least take a few breaks."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 7

"Wow," Sheik breathed. "Just, wow."

"It is impressive work," Kaimana agreed. Sheik held the solid shield up so it caught the remaining light from the forge. The shield was larger than Link's old one, but also lighter. It was rimmed in decorative gold trim, and a golden Triforce had been worked flush with the rest of the metal in the center. But most impressive was the smoothness. The surface caught every stray bit of light and reflected it back tenfold, so that it seemed to give off a light all its own.

Sheik turned and looked at Link, who was curled on his side near the door. Every couple of minutes a convulsive tremor wracked his body. Handing the shield to Kaimana, he reached down and lifted Link off the floor. Last year this would have been a simple matter, but now the best he could manage was a fireman's carry which he suspected Link would appreciate being unconscious for.

They returned to the room, putting Link in bed and placing his new shield on the floor beside him. Sheik sank into the other bed and Kaimana gave his shoulder a pat before leaving them alone. Sheik leaned back and closed his eyes.

Link whimpered and Sheik opened his eyes again. The fire in their room had burned low. Sheik blinked, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. "Hero? You okay?" He heaved himself up and walked to Link's bed. The younger man was trembling in his sleep, not measured shivers of cold, but violent jerks of muscles. Each twitch or flinch was accompanied by a pained whimper. But his eyelids were closed, the eyes behind them swiveling wildly.

Sheik took a leaf from his pouch and crushed it. The scent was strange, mint and spice. Prying Link's jaw open, he placed the leaf in his mouth. After a moment Link's eyes stilled and his body relaxed by a few degree. It had taken a lot of cajoling to get the Great Deku Tree to reveal the location of those leaves. They would not stop the pain, but they would let Link sleep deeply. He pushed some sweaty hair from Link's face. "What am I going to do with you, Hero?"

Sheik went back to bed, dozing off and on through the night, feeding Link crushed leaves as he needed them and keeping the fire burning so the room did not chill.

Link woke slowly. He felt oddly numb. Not just a lethargy in his limbs, but as if his brain was wrapped in cotton and his senses had all been dulled. With a great effort of will, he sat up. Sheik slept on the other bed, stretched out on the comforter. Two trays of food were sitting on the table; one had already been picked at, the other remained covered.

Standing on wobbly legs he made his way to the table and sank into a chair. Pulling the cover off the untouched tray he began to eat automatically, not really tasting any of the food. He did not even realize Sheik was awake until a bottle of milk was placed in front of him. He drank it with the same reflexive motions.

"Do you need more sleep?" Sheik asked. Link blinked at him dully, then shook his head. Sheik took something from his pouch, a small white pill, snapped it in half and shoved both pieces under Link's nose.

The smell was...strange. Not exactly unpleasant, but sharp. His eyes watered almost immediately, his head felt light, his ears rang, and lightning raced through his limbs. He shoved Sheik's hand away. "Oh sweet Nayru, what is that!"

Sheik calmly put the pill away. "I've been drugging you," he said simply. "This is the antidote."

"You've been what?" Link asked.

"Your eyes turned red and you weren't yourself. Last time that happened you spent a couple of days in terrible pain. I decided to save you that."

"Oh." Link rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Thank you." He looked around, everything now in sharp relief. "What did I do this time? I don't remember." Sheik turned slightly and gestured to the shield still leaning on the wall near the bed. Link blinked, then rose and retrieved it. He ran his fingers over the glossy surface, tracing the golden Triforce.

"You do good work when you are out of your head. Much less personable, though."

Link placed the new shield on his back, shrugging a few times to settle it in place. "It's lighter than the other one."

Link leaned his head back and let the warmth of the sun wash over his skin. He loved spending time with the Zora, but after so many days underground it felt good to be out in the open again. The wind whipped up, tugging at his clothes and hair and he turned into it so the air rushed directly into his face.

"Farore, Link!"

Link turned back to see Sheik, his hand raised as if to cover his eyes. "What?"

"That shield," Sheik said, lowering his hand and blinking his eyes hard several times. "It is very reflective."

Link frowned. "It seems a shame to cover it up."

"Then at least don't stand in front of me." He moved to stand alongside Link. Hylia Lake had not changed much in the time they had spent with the Zora. The sun was high, glittering off the water whipped high by the winds. A dark storm gathered on the horizon behind Death Mountain. Lightning flashed silently. "That storm isn't going to hold long."

"Long enough for us to make it to the next town," Link answered. They turned away from the storm and headed to the small cave that housed the horses and hippocampus. "I haven't tried to reach the Rito from here before. I don't think there are any direct routes." The elderly Zora who tended the animals met them at the entrance.

"Only by water," the elderly Zora answered. "For easy travel over land, you'll need to head north for a couple of days before you find an easy way west. At least that will take you to the closest bridge over the canyon."

"Thank you." Sheik nodded and passed the Zora a few extra rupees. They mounted their horses and headed away from the lake, passing through the canyon where they had met the bandits, and into Hyrule Field.

Heading north gave them a good look at the storm that seemed to hover over Kakariko as it lashed the earth with its fury. The proceeding winds whipped around them, bringing the scent of earth and water and smoke. Link grinned. "It almost looks like Sarken is throwing a tantrum."

Sheik frowned. "What makes you say that? It just looks like a normal storm to me." Link only shook his head and shrugged. They spurred the horses faster in the rising wind. The storm continued to hover over Death Mountain most of the day, swirling and churning, the blackness broken only by occasional bursts of lightning. Yet a darkness crept across the sky, oozing like spilled ink, covering the skies from horizon to horizon in a blackness that had nothing to do with clouds or night.

With the strange darkness came wind. By noon the tall grass of Hyrule Field lay all but flat to the ground and the horses had to slow to a walk. Both young men were leaning over their mounts' necks, trying to present a lower profile to the battering gale. Link had even removed his hat, tucking it into his pouch to keep it safe.

"We aren't going to make it to town. Not in this mess," Sheik shouted over the roaring wind.

"Should we turn back?"

Sheik looked at the pitch cast sky and shook his head. "We need to find shelter, now."

Link looked around, then pointed. "There." Almost hidden in the darkness, crouched in a thick stand of trees – whose tops were bowed by the wind – was an old farmhouse. They had to backtrack a bit, but soon made it to the rickety structure. It was clear that only the trees growing so closely around it kept it from succumbing to the elements. They dismounted and led the horses inside as well.

Inside, the cabin was so dark they could not see anything and the wind whistled through the boards, making the horses snort and dance. Link brought up a ball of light. The cabin was as ramshackle as it had appeared from the outside. The floor had once been covered in wood, but most of the boards were now missing or rotten, leaving weathered dirt. A stone hearth crumbled in on one wall, unusable. The building groaned as the wind battered it and the wind that got in whipped up the smell of dust and mildew.

"I don't think a fire would be wise in here," Sheik said as he forced the door closed against the wind and wedged another board against it to keep it that way. Link gave a grunt of agreement.

They set up camp as best they could in the cabin. With no fire, they ate a meal of dried meat and bread. Outside the darkness deepened and brought with it cold. When the storm finally crawled over them, it brought a mix of rain and sleet. The ice pounded on the roof as if it were intentionally trying to collapse the cabin around them. The wind grew increasingly cold, soon forming icicles where the air and water met inside. Both young men pulled on their cloaks; meant to keep off a summer rain, they were only a mild help.

"I did not come prepared for winter weather," Sheik said between chattering teeth as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Me either," Link agreed, his breath coming out in a puff of mist. Outside, the sheet turned into driving hail. The roof creaked and groaned overhead.

Sheik swore. "This is not normal weather. Where did Thorvald and Meredith find that nutcase?" The roof cracked and hail the size of marbles began falling through. The horses shied and whinnied. "We can't stay here." Another crack and more hail began pouring in. They grabbed the horses and hurried out into the storm.

Their cloaks were caught in the wind and whipped wildly. Hail came down in blinding sheets of white, beating everything on the ground into submission. In many places the grass lay flat; small trees were coated in ice and bowed to the ground. Larger trees had their branches weighted down, loud snaps and pops ringing around them as green wood buckled.

"Which way?" Link yelled over the howling wind as he threw himself onto Nightfire's back. The horse danced under him. Sheik clamped down on Blu's reins with one hand, trying to calm the animal while he raised an arm to protect his eyes as he tried to get his bearings.

"I don't know."

The earth shook and both horses froze. A loud crack like breaking glass followed. The world seemed to hold its breath, then the ground shook again. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Link groaned as the shattering crack reported around them. Out of the dark and hail something loomed. Taller than the trees, it moved in long, stilted steps. Each forward movement was accompanied by another shake and crack.

"Oh... Nayru..." Sheik breathed as the creature stepped close enough to be made out. "That is a big Freezard." Both of the ice creature's legs was as big around as a small tree trunk As it stepped forward the limb broke off at the knee, only to refreeze before the foot set down again. One leg came down on the cabin, crashing through the rotten roof without thought. Long arms reach out to break down anything in its way, including trees, which it ripped up and tossed over its shoulder like toys. A dragon-like head turned glowing red eyes on them.

Then it roared, the sound alone was deafening. But with it came a blast of air, snow, and ice that froze anything it touched. Both men put their heels to their horses, dodging away from the blast.

Link took out his bow and notched an arrow. Forcing fire into the head, he released it into the Freezard's side. The arrow found its mark, going up in a plume of flames that looked almost comically tiny against the Freezard's huge body. It was, however, enough to annoy the creature, which turned on Link with another roar and icy blast. Only Nightfire's quick feet saved him from the brunt. The bit of wind that did catch him carried ice, and a few shards buried themselves in his exposed arms; melting away to leave the small wounds to bled.

He quickly reached back and touched Nightfire's flanks, but his hand came away covered only in fur and water. The shards were not enough to pierce the horse's thicker hide. The creature sucked in another breath, and was hit from behind with another tiny ball of fire. It turned on Sheik, but the man and horse had already vanished into the darkness and ice. Link used the distraction to pull up behind a clump of trees and out of sight. Sheik seemed to materialize next to him a minute later.

"Now what?" Link asked.

"Can you call more fire? Something bigger?"

Link worried his bottom lip and peered up through the trees where the Freezard was clearly still searching for them. "I think so."

Sheik nodded. "I'll keep it busy. When you see an opening, hit it with everything you have." In a flurry of wind, Sheik and Blu vanished again. Link dismounted and moved through the stand of trees to crouch where he could see without being seen.

Reaching for his magic had long since become second nature, but he rarely needed more than could fit into an arrowhead or a sword. The last time he had used more had been against Ganon, and most of that day was a blur. Drawing all the magic he could summon, he channeled it into his hands and waited.

A plume of flames hit the Freezard in the face. It roared and swung toward the attack, but as it did, parallel pillars of water rose from the ground and wrapped around its arms; turning to ice on contact. Another blast of flames slammed into its throat while a lash of wind struck along the spine.

The Freezard screamed and broke both its arms at the elbow, escaping its binds. The arms grew back almost instantly, only to have the left one blown off again by a bolt of lightning. All of this happened without Link seeing Sheik, not even his horse seemed to leave prints in the snow. Furious, the Freezard roared and began blasting ice and snow in all directions.

As the monster turned, Link saw his chance. When the Freezard turned, one leg broke off at the knee, leaving it to pivot on the other. Gathering his magic, Link loosed a fireball twice the size of his head. It slammed into the Freezard's shoulder, exploding to several times its original size and sending the creature spinning wildly. Its other leg snapped, sending it crashing to the ground.

The Freezard hit the ground and shattered with a thunderous crash. The earth shook so hard Link had to grab a nearby tree for balance. Chunks of ice flew through the air before joining the hail raining down on them. Link gave a whistle, catching Nightfire's mane as the horse trotted by and swinging up. He met Sheik where the largest pieces had come to rest.

"That was...impressive, Hero."

"Says the guy who can shoot lightning." Link raised a hand and sent a plume of fire splashing across one of the larger chunks of ice, watching until it melted to nothing.

"I hate Freezards." Sheik sighed as he followed Link's lead. The largest chunks of ice shuddered and began gliding towards the two young men. "You have to smash them to nothing or melt them to get rid of them."

"How do you do the lightning anyway?" Link asked as he calmly melted another of the small Freezards.

Sheik shrugged, lashing out with a bolt of lightning that shattered two at once. Up close the sound was almost deafening and the light briefly turned the darkness once again into the noon. "Lightning is nothing more than super-heated air. All you need is to combine fire and wind magic."

Link nodded and took aim at a particularly large Freezard. Gathering his magic, he concentrated and released. The result was a blast of air, followed by a rush of flames, then a sudden and wild crack of electricity. The shot went wide, striking down a smaller Freezard instead. Nightfire reared and whinnied. Sheik laughed. "It takes practice."

Link rolled his eyes and finished off the rest of the Freezards with a wall of flames that rose out of the ground and crashed over them like a wave. "What else can be combined?"

"Fire and water make steam. Darkness and water make ice. Fire and earth make lava. You get the idea."

Link nodded. "What about water and earth?"

"Mud. Water and earth make mud, Hero." Sheik grinned. Link made a rude gesture. Sheik laughed and Link turned his attention towards the sky. The hail had stopped and the darkness was slowly dispersing, like morning mist burning away with the rising sun. Beyond, the sky had turned the warm pink and orange of evening. It also revealed they had wandered far off course.

"On the plus side, Sarken has probably worn himself out for a while. On the other, where the hell are we?"

"That... is a good question?" Sheik replied, turning in a circle to try and find his bearings. "Lost, I believe."

"I can see that."

Sheik shrugged. "Relax, Hero. The Rito live in the western mountains just across the gorge. All we have to do is head west."

Link turned towards the setting sun. Even in the harsh orange light the terrain looked rough, thick with trees and hidden in heavy shadow. With the red tongue of the sun behind, mountain and forest became blackened and bloody teeth. "Not tonight." Sheik nodded in agreement.

They made camp and ate a meager meal of dried fish and water. Sheik hollowed out a pit in the ground where they placed the fire, using the depression to conceal the light. They took turns keeping watch throughout the night, but encountered nothing more than a few nocturnal creatures scurrying about their business.

Morning broke to reveal a piece of Hyrule Link had never seen before. He had held out hope that the sun would chase away the confusion of the night, but the land still reminded him of teeth. Rough terrain of rocky foothills thrust trees skyward at odd angles.

"Are we still in Hyrule?" Link asked as they ate a light breakfast. Having expected to pass through a town, they were already short on supplies.

"Maybe," Sheik answered. "But it is a far flung corner. Doesn't change anything though."

Link made a non-communicative noise as he got up and saddled his horse. "West it is then." The going was slow, with no paths to follow and the rough terrain. Often they had to double back and find a new route. By the time they made camp they had only traveled a few miles. Link took up his bow and went hunting while Sheik made camp.

Sheik unsaddled the horses and hitched them to a long line before clearing a patch of ground for a fire. Standing up, he scanned the forest around him. The sounds of night were rising in volume as the sun cast everything into a purple twilight. He picked out landmarks to keep his bearing, and began to gather wood. The wind picked up and the trees groaned. Sheik turned in the direction of the wind, scanning the horizon.

Overhead, the tree groaned again. Sheik dodged without thinking, just as a man dropped from the branches. The man lunged after him and Sheik lashed out with his foot. The man jumped back out of reach as another man dropped from above. This time Sheik did not have time to dodge. The second man landed on his back, slamming him to the ground. Sheik twisted, but the man grabbed a fistful of hair and wrenched his head back. His mask was pulled down and a wet cloth shoved over his mouth and nose. Sheik held his breath as he continued to try and throw the man off.

"You gotta breathe eventually!" one of the men laughed. A large fist struck his kidney and Sheik gasped involuntarily. "There you go, breathe deep." A spicy, heady scent invaded Sheik's senses. His eyes grew heavy and the world faded to black.

Link returned to camp with his prize, a large rabbit. It would not last them long, but would get them through the night. However, when he got to where he thought camp should be there was no one there. Glancing around, he double-checked the surrounding land marks to be sure he had not been turned around in the darkness. Frowning, he placed the rabbit on a rock, his hand reaching for the Master Sword.

"Sheik?" He was answered only by crickets and tree frogs. Overhead a full moon cast the world into shadows of blue, giving him more than enough light to see by. On silent feet he moved forward, finding a patch of ground cleared of dead leaves and twigs. His fingers traced the all but invisible prints of Sheik's soft-soled boots. He followed them a few yards to a place where the ground covering was disturbed and fresh leaves lay about. Link drew his sword as he looked above him, but nothing moved.

Walking around the spot he found a set of prints that headed back towards camp. There was a distinctive break in the boot's sole. The same tracked returned to the disturbance with hitched steps, like the person had acquired a limp. On the other side the limping tracks joined a larger, heavier set, both heading away from camp at an angle. As he turned back toward camp he noticed a scrap of cloth on the ground. He crouched over it. Even without picking it up he could smell the heady mix of herbs, and quickly stood up before they could affect him.

Giving another glance around, he whistled softly. A moment later Nightfire and Blu came out of the forest like wraiths. Link greeted them both, noting that their long line had been roughly cut and their saddles were missing. Pulling himself up onto Nightfire's back he headed off in the direction of the double set of prints.

Sheik woke with a pounding headache. It was only years of practice that kept him from moving. Without opening his eyes he stretched out his senses. He lay on a wooden floor that smelled and felt as if it had begun to rot. His wrists and ankles were bound with heavy shackles, the metal already warm from his body heat. The air was thick and stuffy, the scents of sweat and blood joining that of the rotting wood. He could faintly hear birds, so it was likely morning. He cracked his eyes open just enough to see grey light coming between wooden planks.

The boards creaked and bent slightly under him, and he spun on his hip, lashing out with his bound feet. A male voice yelped as something heavy crashed down. Sheik continued the motion, bringing his legs under him and coming to his knees.

The man who lay before him was dressed in a traveling tunic and pants that had seen better days. He was barefoot, had a few days growth of beard, and filthy. A leather collar encircled his throat, with rope attaching him to a ring in the floor and binding his wrists. He was cut and bruised and splattered with dried blood. The man cringed and curled in on himself.

Sheik relaxed and sat back, looking around. He was in a twelve by six box with a dozen people, most of them women. They were all in a similar state as the cringing man, each dirty and fastened to a ring set in the floor. He noted a ring near his knees, but instead of rope, chains attached his wrists to the floor. They all looked at him with suspicion.

Sheik leaned down towards the man. "I apologize. Are you hurt?"

"No..." the man replied as he pulled away and leaned against the wall.

Sheik frowned. "Where are we?"

The people looked at each other and muttered. Finally a girl to his right, her blonde hair hanging in greasy curls answered him. "We don't know. Men accosted my father and me as we traveled."

"Adelaide, hush!" The man next to her gave a harsh whisper.

"What more can he possibly do to us, Father?" she snapped back. "They plan to sell us into slavery!"

"Look at him! They've chained him, covered his mouth and nose with cloth, and bound him hand and foot. Did you not see what he just did to Isiah?"

"I mean you no harm," Sheik said gently to the room. "I was attacked in the night and when I woke I was surprised."

"Where do you come from?" an older woman asked, her two young children huddled close. Before Sheik could answer a door behind him slammed open on squeaky hinges. A large man in dirty clothes wedged his way through the door. His tunic was stained with old food and he smelled as if he had not bathed in days. The other people in the room drew back from him in revulsion or fear. Even backlit, Sheik recognized him from the river canyon.

"Richie!" the man declared as if greeting an old friend. He grabbed Sheik up by the front of his tunic until the chains went taut and wrenched his shoulders back. "When Pike and Arrow told me they found you, I was disbelieving. But here you are! I bet rich master pay shiny rupee to get you back. Or maybe I sell you to new master. We see who give better price. Maybe he cry to daddy and start war over you. War good for business."

Sheik snarled. "Do you know what a tempest in a teacup is?"

The man gave Sheik a rough shake. "Careful, little man, I not your kind master."

"Link is not my master, he is my friend. He is also, incidentally, the Hero of Hyrule. He is a one man army. By now he has noticed my absence and is looking for me. What do you think he will do when he finds me, dimwit?"

The man slammed him to the floor and put his foot on his head, grinding in his heel. "Big talk, little man. We see if it has any meat." He kicked Sheik in the ribs before squeezing back out of the room and slamming the door.

"Substance, you moron," Sheik growled as he righted himself. "I will break both of that man's legs." He looked around the room, to see everyone else looking at him. He stretched his shoulders a few times to loosen them up, then straightened his arms as much as he could and twisted. After a few minutes struggle, he slipped his hands around in front of his body. He quickly ran his hands over the hiding places in his tunic. "Damn it, they took my picks." He glanced at Adelaide. "Excuse me." And he plucked a pin from her hair. She blinked at him as he began using his prize to work on his wrists.

"Do you really know the Hero of Hyrule?"

"Yes."

"And you really think he will come save us?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you trying to escape?"

"Because it could be a day or two before he finds us." The wrist shackles clicked and fell away. Sheik grunted as he took a moment to rub his sore wrists, then turned his attention to his ankles. "Besides, I hardly need him." The ankle shackles joined those from his wrist. He tucked his pilfered pin into his own hair and raised his hand. "Fire."

The spark of flame filled the small room with light. He turned toward the door and got a better look. It was a simple door, but the handle, lock, and hinges were all on the outside. Sheik closed his hand around the flame and tried to peer between the slots in the wood, but all he could see was trees.

The box gave a hard jolt and he sat back down. Wheels crunched over a poorly made road beneath them making the ride very uncomfortable. Sheik leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to think.

"Well?" the older woman asked. "Aren't you going to do something?"

Sheik opened his eyes and gave her a cool look. "Ma'am, I am in unknown territory, against an unknown number of enemies, have no idea when backup will arrive, and I have been relieved of the majority of my weapons. It is possible still that I could escape. But it is highly doubtful I could take any of you with me. What do you think will happen to the rest of you if they find me gone?" The woman glanced at her two children and bit her lip.

"Then what are you going to do?" another woman asked. She had short cropped black hair and looked as if she had lost a great deal of weight recently.

"Change the variables." He took the edge of his tunic and ripped off a strip. "Everyone give me a piece of cloth." There were several looks of surprise, then one of the little boys ripped a piece out of his tunic. One by one, each person did as he asked and passed the scraps to him. Sheik quickly tied them together into a tight knot, then turned back to the door. Peering through the spaces in the wood, he assured that their prison was not being followed. A moment later he shoved the ball of cloth out a hole that had once been a knot in a board.

Settling back down, he picked up the shackles and locked himself back up.

Tracking by night had proved to be a futile effort. The rocky, leaf-covered ground hid most tracks, and the dark of night hid the rest. But morning dawned with new opportunity. He had long ago lost the trail, but there were other ways to locate someone. Leaving the horses, he climbed a tree as high as he could. Peering out through the canopy, he scanned the sky.

After a minute he found what he was looking for. A thin, nearly invisible column of smoke curled towards the sun. Orienting himself, he returned to the horses and set off at a clipped pace in the direction of the smoke. As the smell of smoke reached him, he turned the horses loose again and crept closer on foot. Slipping into the undergrowth, he crawled as close as he dared.

The camp he found had been used often but abandoned recently. The firepit was still smoking, and assorted garbage littered the ground. The foliage had been ravaged where horses had been hitched, and the ground was rutted by wagon wheels. He did not see a soul around.

With one hand on his sword, he stepped out into the clearing. Still he saw no one nor heard anything out of place. With careful steps he began moving around the camp, taking in the many and overlapping foot prints. There had to have been more than two dozen men here, and perhaps twice as many horses. There had been one cart or wagon that was weighted down heavily, judging by the deep ruts it made. Link crouched down and trailed his fingers over the fire ashes.

He was not sure if it was a shift in the wind or the groan of the tree, but something made him throw himself to the side. He hit his shoulder and rolled, drawing his sword as he came upright. A dart quivered near his knee, embedded in an unburned piece of wood. Link's eyes swept the forest, raising his shield to ward off any more unseen attacks. The polished metal caught the morning sunlight and danced it across the foliage.

The light glinted off something else in the trees and Link focused on it. Faintly, he picked out the outline of a cloaked figure crouching on a branch in the foliage. With a slight shift of his weight, his shield reflected light directly into the figure's face. The figure flinched and Link moved. In one smooth motion he scooped up a rock from the fire circle and flung it. The projectile struck the figure in the stomach and knocked him from the tree.

By the time the figure hit the ground, Link was on him; his boot on the man's chest and his sword under his chin. The man wore dirty traveling clothes and tattered boots under a cloak of deep green, stylishly tattered to look like leaves. His eyes were wide as he looked down the length of the blade and he nervously licked his lips.

Link showed his teeth in a smile that was not at all friendly. "Let's talk."

By midday, the crowded wagon had turned into an oven. Despite the poor construction, scant little air came through the cracks. Everyone sat as far from each other as they could manage, panting and miserable. Sweat plastered Sheik's clothes to his body while thirst made his throat dry. Closing his eyes, he dragged sweaty air into his lungs, then rolled on his side. Drawing his knees to his chest, he lashed out at the door. The wood cracked and groaned. "Hey! For Nayru's sake, we need water in here!" He struck the door again and the wagon lurched to a stop.

"What have you done?" the older woman asked.

"Buying time." The door was flung open and several hands reached in and grabbed him. Sheik was yanked forward until he hit the end of his chain; the sunlight blinded him as someone twisted him around and disconnected the chain from his shackles. He hit the ground shoulder first and was instantly dragged up and a fist slammed into his gut. On instinct his feet came up and connected with a chin. He was shoved down and a foot connected to the back of his head. He saw stars and tasted leaves.

He twisted, throwing the surprised man off him and knocking him down with his bound legs. As he came to his knees another boot hit his skull, and this time they piled on top of him. When they pulled him up, a man had each arm and another had a fistful of hair. Sheik spat blood at the man to his right.

"We got a feisty one here, boss."

"So Richie wants water," the large man laughed. "Give the little rich boy some water." Those holding him tightened their grip as another man without a tunic approached him with a waterskin. The man holding his hair pulled down his mask and pried his jaw open so the skin's contents could be poured in. The water was scalding and tasted rancid. Sheik gagged and choked, twisting away so the water, that he could now see was brown-green in color, hit his cheek.

"What's the matter, Richie?" the man holding his hair jeered. Sheik jerked his head backwards, smashing the man's nose and sending something warm and wet across the back of Sheik's neck. "Son of a bitch!" The man released his hair to clutch his broken nose. Sheik started to twist away again, but a sharp point under his chin made him still.

"Richie," the boss cooed, his foul breath washing over Sheik in an almost visible wave. "Tonight you gonna learn a bit of respect."

"Blow me." The fist that connected to his gut was like a hammer blow and took his breath away. He retched as he doubled over in pain. The men laughed as they unceremoniously chained him back into the wagon.

"What did that possibly accomplish?" the mother hissed. "Now you've really made them mad. Do you have any idea what they are going to do to you?"

Sheik coughed as he caught his breath and sat up. "Nothing... that hasn't been...done before, I'm sure." He winced as he twisted his arms back in front of him and used the pin to pick the locks open again. "Besides, I learned a lot."

"Like?" Adelaide asked skeptically.

"There are only about a dozen of them, none combat trained. I saw more horses than they could ride, probably stolen from assorted places. Neither my horse, nor Link's horse was among them. Which means they are with him and he will be here even sooner. They have a few weapons, but if they have anything but sidearms, they are keeping them elsewhere. Not to mention a couple of those guys are going to be leaving a blood trail for Link to follow. Also," He finished picking his wrist shackles and reached behind his back to pull out a short dagger. "They are easy to pickpocket."

The knife was dull and it took Sheik most of the day to cut everyone's bonds and retie them with slip knots.

Link knelt in the dirt as he examined the knot of cloth. The clean blue piece was definitely Sheik's, and he counted another dozen in assorted states of disrepair. It easily explained why Sheik had not freed himself yet. Link stood, tucking the knot away, and climbed back on Nightfire. His new deep green cloak swirled around him, falling well past his boots. The cloak was cooler than it had first appeared, with little slots under each leafy tatter to let in the slightest breeze.

He put his heels to the horse and set off, his cloak flying. With the advice of the man in the clearing, it would be simple to find where the other men had taken Sheik.

It had long since gone dark, turning the box pitch. Only a few lines of firelight slipped through the slots between the boards. Sheik sat with his back to the wall, his shackles had been rebound but with the lock jammed so they could no longer lock. It would only take a firm tug to break them off.

He closed his eyes and listened. The men outside had grown louder over the last hour and he wondered if they were getting drunk. A hand touched his and his eyes snapped open. Adelaide looked up at him in the darkness. "You don't have to do this."

"Do what?" Sheik asked in a benign voice. He could almost see her grinding her teeth together.

"I hate men like you!" she hissed. "How is letting them beat you bloody going to help anything? What are we supposed to do, sneak away into the wood while they are busy torturing you? If they don't catch us, we'll probably starve or be eaten by Moblin!"

Sheik smiled behind his mask. "They won't touch me. But if it comes to that, yes, run. Head back the direction we came from. You'll meet a young man in green. He will take care of you."

"You are so sure this Link, this man you are convinced is the Hero of Hyrule, will come."

"I know him."

The door jumped open with a crash revealing a man silhouetted in firelight. He grabbed Sheik by the collar of his tunic and yanked him out. Another man took hold of him, grasping the back of his neck, forcing him to walk bent double, as they each took an arm. Sheik looked up as best he could as they led him. They had built their fire near a thick tree where a metal hook had been embedded. The large boss stood there, a horse whip in hand.

"The tents!" someone yelled. "The tents are on fire!" Everyone turned, even Sheik. The canvas tents that had been set up away from the wagon and fire were turning a bright orange as flames danced gleefully from one to the next. Coming up between the rows was a man, his oversized cloak whipping wildly around him, a gleaming broadsword in hand – already dripping with something dark and reflecting the blaze.

Following the blood trail Link caught up to the caravan by late afternoon. Five wagons formed the train, each worn and in as much disrepair as the last. Each was painted the same dark shade of green, but the axels squeaked so loudly it mitigated any camouflage the paint allowed. Dirty men rode alongside the wagons, each leading two or three more horses. In the driver's seat of the lead wagon was a large man Link recognized.

He took up pace alongside, far enough into the woods to go unnoticed, especially in his cloak, but close enough he could see what was happening. The caravan did not stop until almost dusk, and then the men built fires, pitched tents, made themselves meals and began drinking. Link left the horses in the forest, and crouched in a tree, watching.

Finally the large man stood up and walked around the camp. He found a tree that seemed to suit him and hammered a hook into the trunk. A barked order sent two men to the back of one of the wagons. They yanked the door open and dragged out a dark figure in chains. Link took his cue, dropped to the ground, and drew his sword.

Link stepped out of the forest into the camp. In his stolen cloak, the men around took him for one of their own. He reached out and ran his fingers along the plain canvas, calling on his power. The fabric easily caught fire. With measured strides he moved on, touching each tent he came to.

A man came at him, a dagger raised to strike. Link lashed out, his blade carving a furrow from shoulder to hip. The man died without a word and Link stepped over him without breaking stride.

"The tents!" someone yelled. "The tents are on fire!" The men gathered near the camp broke as they turned to look his way. The two dragged Sheik, bent double and chained, to the tree with the hook turned as well. For a long moment, everyone stared, even Sheik seemed shocked.

"Kill him!" the large man yelled. Link was not sure who he meant. Stabbing his sword into the dirt, he grabbed his bow and notched an arrow. The bow twanged and the shaft buried itself in the throat of the man holding the back of Sheik's neck. The man dropped with a gurgle.

Sheik stood up stiffly and yanked at his bonds, which fell away easily. Link grinned as he picked up his sword and started forward again. Sheik spun, sweeping the legs of the other man who held him, catching him by the throat as he fell and slamming him down on his back. As he rose he drew a single, rusty dagger.

For a long moment the world stood still. The flames crackled, the forest sighed, but not a man moved. Then the wind whipped up, blasting through the camp. Link's cloak billowed around him like a set of wings and the flames at his back roared higher. Half the bandits lost their nerve and ran; the rest reached for weapons.

Link charged. The first man he met had a spear. The weapon's shaft was broken in the middle and had clearly been discarded for that reason. Link batted the point aside with a sweep of his sword, grabbed the shaft and yanked it from his grasp. He brought the sword back around to slice into the man's gut.

Another man came at his back and he spun easily to engage, slapping the man away with his shield. He moved on, forcing his way through the press of bodies to where Sheik fought with his single dagger. The battered weapon did not seem to handicap him any. He lashed out with the blade in quick attacks that sliced throats or opened guts. Link shoved his sword through the chest of a man coming at Sheik's back, kicked him off the blade and spun to put his back to his friend's.

"Hey, Hero. How was the hunting?"

"Bad," Link replied with a smile as he parried a blow with his sword before sweeping the wielder's legs. "All I got was a rabbit." The bandits backed off as the two men whirled around each other, blades flashing in a symphony of violence. "You're slowing down," Link noted casually.

"I haven't had a decent meal in days. What's your excuse, farm boy?"

Link rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the bandits. Those that were still standing formed a loose ring, weapons ready but stances weary. Near the tree, Link saw the big man still standing with the whip in hand. The man made a slight gesture and Link frowned. Suddenly, all the bandits surged forward together, converging on the two young men.

"Down!" Link shouted. Sheik dropped flat as Link shoved power into his sword and spun. The circular arc of energy sliced through the men around them. As he came around he saw a man that had stayed back from the fight holding a bomb. He smiled as he lit it and ran toward the wagon.

"Shit!" Sheik snapped, scrambling to his feet. Link grabbed his bow and notched an arrow as he ran forward. As the man raised his hand to throw Link loosed the bolt. He hit the bandit's hand, pinning it to the wagon door behind him and knocking the bomb to the ground. Link kicked it farther as he passed, and slammed his fist into the man's jaw. The bandit slumped bonelessly, held up by only his hand. Link yanked the arrow out, allowing him to finish falling. The bomb landed near the burning tents and exploded, sending a small mushroom cloud into the night sky.

Link turned and peered into the dark wagon. Carefully, he stepped inside. The wagon smelled of sweat and urine and blood. Inside, it was all but pitch black, but he could make out a few vague shapes and hear the scrape of something shifting.

Suddenly, something hit him in the head. He stepped back in surprise and fell backward out of the wagon to land flat on his back in the dirt. Link looked up to see a young woman with long blonde hair standing in the doorway, her hands still bound as they clung to a raised chamber pot. Sheik cackled.

The blonde lunged and Link scurried backwards to avoid her attack. His hand landed on his oversized cloak and he hit the ground again. The pot came at him and he raised his sword. With a quick twist he flipped the impromptu weapon from her hands, but it did not stop the girl. She came at him with her bound fists.

Sheik hauled the girl up by the waist while she kept fighting. "Damn, Hero, if this is the effect you have on women it's no wonder your stepfather can't marry you off." Link made a rude gesture as he got up. He took a quick look around and his eyebrow rose as he saw the large man pinned to the tree with a dozen daggers through his clothes. He hung limp, but Link could see his chest moving.

"What are you doing!" the girl screeched and Sheik scrunched up his face as he leaned away from the sound. "He's one of them!"

"Actually," Sheik corrected as he set the girl back on her feet, but kept a hold of her arm. "He's Link. The Hero of Hyrule, and a good friend of mine. Though, he does seem to have stolen a cloak."

"I didn't steal it," Link sniffed as he cleaned his sword and put it away. "It was a gift." Sheik gave him a flat look. "Okay, a bribe. A man was very afraid I would kill him."

"_You_, threatened to kill someone...?"

Link grinned. "I held my sword to his throat and failed to mention I wouldn't kill him. He was quite helpful." Sheik laughed as he gave the rope binding the girl's hands a sharp tug.

"By the way, Link, meet Adelaide," He made a gesture toward the wagon where an older man was stepping out. "And her father." Link took off his hat and gave them a formal bow. Sheik snorted as he went to help the older man release his hands. One by one the people began to climb out of the wagon. Even in the pale moonlight and the flickering flames they had to squint to protect their eyes.

Link turned back towards the flames and raised his hand. The flames leapt, then lowered as he dropped his hand back to his side, leaving behind the charred, smoking remains of tents. With the lights lowered he moved to the next wagon and reached for the door. Abruptly he stopped and removed his cloak, stuffing it into his pouch, before pulling the door open. Though it was too dark to see, even for him, he heard the shuffle of feet and sounds of breathing.

He called forth the dimmest light he could, just enough to see by in the dark wagon. The people inside were even dirtier and thinner than those in with Sheik. They flinched away from him and he gave them his best disarming smile before moving to cut them free. He had to help some of the weaker people out to sit on the grass. Sheik motioned for him to check the other wagons as he began to build a small fire.

The next wagon held weapons of every description. A few hung on the walls, but most had simply been piled in the floor where they had mixed with other sundry items. Link briefly searched through the mess, and came up with several blankets and one of Sheik's swords. Closing the door behind him, he returned to the others, passing out the blankets to those who seemed to need them most.

Sheik frowned when Link returned his sword. "What where they using it for, cutting wood?"

Link shrugged. "Found it in a pile with a bunch of other weapons and junk." Sheik let out a long suffering sigh that made Link grin as he went to check the next wagon.

This one was filled with provisions, mostly hard breads, cheeses, and dried meat. Link's stomach rumbled and he tore a piece out of some bread and ate it. Dry and thick it was not very satisfying. Stepping out of the wagon, he closed the door. The people huddled close to the fire Sheik had built. Most sat, but a few stood. They were all thin and scared. As much as he wanted to, opening the wagon to them would be a mistake. They would need to ration the food evenly for everyone's safety.

He knew before he reached the next wagon he was not going to like what was inside. The smell of rot and mildew and filth hit him in an almost visible wave when he opened the door. Inside there were only two creatures, both wretched. On his right was a Zoran boy, chained to a tub of liquid that had once been water; he sat with his knees drawn up to his chin and his head hidden in his crossed arms. On the left was a Rito girl. She lay on her side, curled in a tight ball. Most of her feathers were battered or missing. Neither child could be more than a few summers old.

Link stamped down his rage, it would not do him any good right now. As he stepped into the wagon the children looked up and cringed away. Link smiled gently as he knelt near them. "My name is Link, and I'm here to help." He picked up the chains and examined them with a frown. Then he stood, wrapped the chain around one hand, planted both feet on the floor on either side of the anchor ring, and pulled. The wood groaned then gave way with a crack as the anchor came free.

Tossing the chains over one shoulder, he scooped up one child in each arm. A few brittle feathers crumbled off the girl while slimy water soaked into his tunic from the boy. The night wind whispered through the trees and both children huddled closer as he walked back to the impromptu camp. Sheik looked up at his return. His eyebrows shot up before drawing together.

"Found them in the last wagon."

"I'll take care of her, find some fresh water and get him washed off," Sheik took the Rito girl from his arms and hurried her to a place near the fire. Link followed his instructions and headed for the burned out camp. In all of the camps he had passed through there had been a public bath of sorts. Though few of the men took advantage of it. It stood on the outer edge of the camp and had escaped most of Link's rampage.

There was a large tub that took up most of the tent, but it was empty and looked like it had not been used in the recent past. A rusted water pump stood nearby, mostly a home for spiders. Link set the boy on a rotting bench and raised his hand. The water here was buried deep, but it was easier to bring it up then create it from the air.

Water, stale, black and smelling of rot, snaked out of the end of the pump. Link directed it away from the tub, dumping it on the ground until it began to flow clear, then directing it into the tub. The Zora did not wait for the tub to fill, but climbed in to sit under the flow. Link found the tub was so out of use, it was no longer water tight, and he had to spend some power holding the water in as well.

The tub, filled to the brim, was big enough for the young Zora to swim a few circles. When he surfaced, he was breathing hard, but smiling. Link smiled back as he helped him back out. "Better?" The Zora nodded as he wrapped his arms around Link's neck. "Good, let's see if Sheik can get those chains off." Without Link supporting it, water began leaking from the tub on to the ground.

Outside, the night had grown colder and Link picked up the pace as he headed back to the fire. Link heard the twang of the bow a split second before the arrow embedded itself in his shoulder. The force was enough to make him step back. The second arrow sliced into his stomach. The third missed but lay open the flesh of his upper arm.

The Zoran boy screamed as Link dropped into a crouch and raised his shield. The next arrows came from behind, one in his left tricep the other just above his right butt cheek. Link swore and called up his magic to create a vortex around him and the Zoran boy. More arrows zipped out of the night, but the swirling air batted them away. On impulse, Link reached out and drew in the water he had let spill on the ground, adding it to the whirl.

Link flung out his arms, sending the wind and water out towards the trees. Mid flight, the water froze into shards that tore through the forest. Link stood, shield ready as he scanned the forest. Nothing moved. Even the nocturnal animals had decided to find somewhere else to be. He took the boy's hand and hurried toward camp. Sheik met him halfway. He swept the child into his arms and moved to cover Link's unguarded side.

There were arrows all over the ground around the fire, and no sign of the people. Sheik went to one of the wagons and handed the child through the door then pushed Link in after him. He shut the door and lit a lamp that hung from the ceiling.

In the light Link could see the dark stains as blood soaked into his tunic. Somehow, that made them hurt worse. "Hold still, Hero. This is going to hurt."

Sheik put his hand on Link's shoulder a slowly backed the arrow out. Link swore but held as still as he could. Sheik came up with a bloody arrow and a frown. He dropped it at their feet and moved to the one in Link's gut, which came out much easier, and instructed Link to put pressure on the wound as soon as the arrow was free. The one through his arm was easiest, Sheik simply snapping the head off and reversing the shaft. The last arrow had struck bone and fallen out, leaving only a shallow but biting wound.

Sheik dug into his pouch and came out with a mostly empty potion bottle. "All I have is a swallow of green. It isn't much, but it will stop the bleeding at least." Link took the bottle, but scanned the rest of the people there. "Drink it, Link. You won't do them any good if you pass out from blood loss." Link drank the potion. Sheik was right; it stopped the bleeding, but was not enough to close the wounds.

The wagon shuddered as more arrows rained against the sides. Link huffed. "Yeah, yeah, we know you are still there." He pulled his new cloak from his pouch and wrapped it around himself. It was so long it pooled around his boots and the cowl threw all his features into deep shadow. "Cover me."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, Hero?"

"Finish this." He snuffed out the lamp with a wave of his hand and slipped out into the night, vanishing into the moonlit shadows. The fire Sheik had built was still burning. A wave of his hand doused it as well. Pulling the cloak closer, he crouched in the shadow of the wagon and placed his hand on the ground.

He felt the first tremors in his boots. Closing his eyes, he focused all the magic he had left into the earth. The tremors grew, first making the wagon shudder then shake. Leaves rustled as if in a stiff breeze, building into a violent rattle that broke branches as they clashed together. Men yelled as they were thrown or abandoned their suddenly precarious perches.

Releasing the power, Link darted from his hiding place and into the woods. It was easy to find a group of fallen men, and in the confusion they did not notice him adding to their numbers. When the apparent leader made a motion with his hand and everyone began moving back into the forest, Link followed without comment.

When one of the men fell behind, he seized his chance. One hand snapped to cover the man's mouth and he struck out with the other, cold-cocking him in the temple. The man dropped like a stone, and Link paused long enough to dump the body into some bushes. On impulse, he waved his hand and the earth opened enough to suck in the man's feet, before closing again.

Link hurried to catch up before he lost the group. They met another group in a small clearing. Link took a quick head count, and frowned. Two dozen armed men was a lot to take on alone, but it was too late to go get Sheik. He reached down and felt for his magic, and found it lower than he ever allowed and he hoped it would be enough.

Letting out a breath he focused on the forest. Slowly, carefully, he began to draw water from all around. Taking water from a source like a pond was a simple task, like picking up a ball. Even taking it from the air was easy enough. But extracting it from leaves, pulling it from the trunks of trees, and collecting it from between the grains of dirt was a totally different task.

He began to sweat and his head began to throb as he pooled the water underneath the bandits, but he kept pulling, even as his field of vision began to narrow. Then he released the magic. Water melded with earth directly under the men's feet, turning solid ground into liquid mud in an instant. The bandits all dropped three feet with a yelp and a thick glub. Link slashed his hand and the water all rushed back to where it had been, leaving the group of men trapped in solid earth.

Link called on the smallest ball of light – even as it made his head twinge – he could manage and pushed the cowl away from his face. Even if he could not see most of their faces, the startled gasps of the bandits rang in his ears. Idly, he noted that he had torn open his wounds and was bleeding again.

Drawing his sword he moved towards the trapped men, who all leaned away. "Night night, boys." Then he brought the pommel against the first man's head.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 8

Link opened his eyes to see pale blue sky peeking through the canopy of trees. His entire body hurt. From the headache throbbing behind his eyes to the cramp in his right calf. But what hurt most were the arrow wounds. At some point last night he had ripped them open again and now each throbbed with every beat of his heart. With a groan, he squeezed his eyes shut again.

A soft hand touched him and he peered up to see an older woman as she placed a cold compress to his head. "Try not to move, you'll open your wounds again."

"Sheik?" Link asked as he did his best to relax.

"He's coming."

It took several minutes, but then he heard the older man's soft footfalls and opened his eyes again hesitantly. "Hey, Hero," Sheik said softly. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"How long–" He broke off in a cough, which really hurt. The older woman lifted his head and helped him drink some water.

"It's a little before noon." Sheik held up a bottle with some blue liquid in it. "Salvaged this. Again, it isn't enough to cure you, but it will get you back on your feet." He helped Link drink the blue potion. "I'll get you some lunch." A minute later he returned with a dented metal plate and cup. He waved off the older woman as he passed the plate and cup to Link and sat back down. "The food supply is going to run out; we need to get moving as soon as possible. Can you ride? If not, I'll make you a pallet in one of the wagons."

Link shook his head. "No, I can manage." He took a bite out of the bread; it was stale and he had to gulp water to swallow. "What can I do to help?"

Sheik gave him a dubious look. "Not reopening your wounds again would be a great start." Sheik glanced around and sighed. "Okay, I can't do it all myself and most of these people are too weak to help. You're good with animals, so round up the horses and find out who can ride. The only saddles I found were yours and mine, so everyone else will have to go bareback. And we will be ponying a lot of horses as well."

"What else do you have to do?"

"Stripping the wagons." Sheik looked at the four wagons forming a small circle, shielding those inside from the forest. "Most of these people will never be able to stay on a horse all day. They will have to go back into the wagons, but I don't want them to feel like prisoners again." He paused for a long moment. "The problem is, if we are attacked again..."

Link ate the last of his bread and dried fruit. "What about the bandits we already have?"

Sheik grinned behind his scarf. "Chained up in one of the wagons without their weapons or cloaks. It's a bit crowded, but they will live." He shrugged. "Don't worry, Hero, they have already had bread and water, and I'll ventilate their wagon before it gets too hot." He made a face. "Once we are underway, it is probably better for you to ride alongside that wagon and keep an eye on them. I'll cover the civilians."

It took much longer then anticipated to get the wagons ready to move again. Sheik first took the doors off three of them, then stripped every other board from the sides. He used the stripped boards to line the lower part of the wagons to create a solid barrier. Then he took the oversized cloaks and wrapped the wagons in them to hide the people inside. Finally he had to do basic maintenance on the axles and wheels, greasing them so they would stop squeaking. On the last wagon he pulled a single board from the front of each side and one from the roof. Letting in enough light and air to keep it from being completely miserable.

Link started by looking over the horses. Most were in no better condition than the people, some were very old or very young, with only a handful in any condition to carry a rider. Fortunately, only three people were also able to ride.

They got moving the next morning. Sheik led the way north while Link brought up the rear. Without a clear path for the wagons, they had to weave their way through the trees. The day passed uneventfully, with only a short stop for lunch. Once they stopped for the night, Link took Nightfire and scouted ahead.

There was not much to see, mostly trees. As darkness stretched across the sky he considered turning back, when he unexpectedly broke through the tree line. Moonlight spilled over the open, rolling hills before him, brighter where it reflected off the thin streams of water. Link smiled as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air was sweet to his lungs.

It was tempting to stay there, enjoying the familiarity of Hyrule Field, but he reluctantly turned back to the forest. The darkness engulfed him, but the moon still peered through the leaves, dappling the floor in silver light. He smiled.

"We'll be back in Hyrule Field by tomorrow," Link announced as he dismounted back at camp. "As close as we are, I don't think we ever crossed the border."

Sheik looked up from where he was dishing out thin soup and stale bread. "Good." He handed Link a dented bowl and a chunk of bread. Link dipped the bread into the soup to soften it. "Where will we come out?"

Link shook his head. "Hard to say exactly at twilight, but we are definitely west of Lake Hylia somewhere."

"That's something I guess. As far as we went I was afraid we'd be doing another desert crossing." Link made a face and shook his head again. He bypassed his spoon and sipped his soup from the bowl.

"How are you doing?"

"Haven't reopened the wounds yet. Still bleeding a little, still hurt."

Sheik sighed. "Sorry, Hero. I should have known better than to leave the Zora without full supplies."

"Not your fault."

"Yes it is, and you know it," Sheik argued without much enthusiasm.

Link leveled him with a look. "It was me Sarken was trying to kill with that monster." He took the last loaf of bread and began breaking it into pieces, then began filling dented cups with soup, and stacking everything together on a larger silver and gold serving tray they had found with the other loot. Link smiled at the irony of feeding prisoners their meals from such an ornate platter. "Get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Link sat on the tree branch looking over the camp. The fire had burned low, but he did not need much light to see by. The wagons had been circled again, and everyone but Sheik had opted to sleep inside. The man lay on his side near the dying fire, his twin blades gleaming in the low light within easy reach.

A movement near the back of one of the wagons caught his eyes. Blonde hair bobbed through the night like a poe's lantern. Slowly it made its way towards Sheik's sleeping form. Link frowned and dropped silently to the ground and rushed to intercept. He grabbed Adelaide by the shoulder and covered her mouth to drown out the scream. "It's okay. It's just me," Link said gently. "Don't scream." He let go of her mouth and turned her to face him. "What are you doing? You should be in bed."

She punched his arm. "Don't scare me like that! And what I am doing is none of your business." She pulled away and started toward Sheik again. Link dodged around in front of her.

"Fine, don't tell me what you are up to. I really don't care. Just give Sheik wide berth. It's for your own safety."

"Humph." She pushed past him and kept on her path. Link sighed and grabbed her by the neck of her dress.

"Sheik will kill you without thinking if you wake him," Link said seriously. Adelaide whipped around and would have slapped him if he had not caught her hand.

"I'm not surprised a brute like you would not understand such a kind and gentle soul as his," she hissed. Link gave her a half-lidded look and did his best not to laugh. "You're nothing but a weapon of the Goddesses and should fall on your knees and give thanks someone like Sheik would call you friend. But you will never know him, not like I do."

"Lady, you spent a couple of days in a slave wagon with him. He walked beside me through my journey. I think I know him a bit better than you do. But if you want to wake him, go ahead. I hope he doesn't take your head off."

She yanked her arm away and turned on her heel. As she moved closer to the sleeping man, she slipped the ribbon from her hair, letting it tumble free. Carefully she rolled the ribbon into a neat coil. As she leaned down to lay it next to Sheik she was yanked sharply back and a shield came up in front of her. There was a deafening clang of metal on metal and sparks briefly lit up the camp.

The ribbon tumbled from trembling fingers as she met empty green eyes over the rim of the shield. Sheik blinked a couple of times, then lowered his swords. "I did warn you," Link said softly in her ear. She made a slight choking sound before running back to the wagon.

"What just happened?" Sheik asked, rubbing his eyes. "Is it time for my watch?"

Link leaned down and retrieved the ribbon. "You have an admirer, and yes."

Link watched Sheik as he rode at the front of the train. Adelaide rode behind him, fidgeting. She had been avoiding him all morning while stealing glances at every chance. For his part, Sheik took no more notice of her than he ever had, and Link wondered if he knew who the ribbon belonged to.

Sarika, the young Rito girl who was riding in front of him, tugged on Link's tunic to bring his attention to her. Her feathers had been an almost complete loss, and she had plucked most of them out. She pointed to the sky and gave a bird-like squeak. Link followed her finger, but all he saw was the canopy overhead. She squeaked again and began bouncing in the saddle. Then he heard them.

"Sheik, we have incoming!"

The older man turned, sword already in hand, and Link pointed to the sky. The Rito landed in the trees all around them, bows and grappling hooks in hand. Link wrapped one arm around Sarika, drew his sword, and signaled Nightfire. The black horse reared with a battle cry as Link shoved magic into the Master Sword to make it glow. All eyes fell on him.

"Link?" one of the Rito asked, squinting against the light. Link lowered the sword and released the power.

"Chieftain Aquila," he replied. "What brings you so far from home?"

The Rito chief smiled slightly as he stood up on the branch and folded his arms. He was a large man by Rito standards, with a strong jaw and sharp features."We were searching for a lost child. But you seem to have found her."

"Have lunch with us, we will tell you what happened."

It turned out neither Link nor Sheik were able to get a word in edgewise, Sarika insisted on telling the whole story herself – even the parts she did not know. They watched in amusement as she described Link's capture and Sheik's failed rescue, and finally Link calling on the power of the Goddesses to bring the bandits to their knees without spilling a drop of blood. Link had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, Sheik just sighed.

"So, what really happened?" Aquila asked with a smile as Sarika was taken away by a Rito who turned out to be her very relieved older sister.

"Sheik was the one captured, he didn't really need my help, but he got it anyway," Link answered.

"But how did you get here?" Aquila asked. "I was told by a Zoran messenger to be on the watch for you."

Link shifted his weight. "The storm caught us out in the open and we got thrown off track."

The Rito nodded sagely. "It was your Goddesses leading you to where you were most needed." Link and Sheik shared a look, but said nothing. "But tell me, why are you on your way to our skies? The messenger would not say."

Link looked around at the people, then rose and motioned for the other two to follow him as he moved farther away from the group. When he felt they were far enough away he turned back to them. "I won't tell you what we are looking for. There is a man who is also looking for it, and he doesn't care who he hurts. He froze the entire Zora Domain, fast as thought. He called the darkness that covered Hyrule a few days ago. He will kill me and Sheik, and anyone else, to get what he wants. I don't want to risk going near your people if it is at all avoidable."

Aquila nodded, glancing back at his small group. "What do you need of me?"

"Do you know where the earth meets the sky? We've tried Death Mountain and Lake Hylia."

Aquila rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There is a place, sacred to the Rito, that might hold your answer. But no outsider has ever visited there. Even the children are not allowed unattended until they have their wings." He paused, rubbing his chin some more. "I think something can be arranged. Unfortunately, it will mean passing through our realm."

"Then we just won't stop," Sheik added.

"Someone needs to get these people back to the castle," Link gestured toward the group. "And the prisoners."

Aquila finally returned his gaze to them. "It would be easier to bring them to our skies first. It is closer, and we can restock the supplies and get them fresh clothes. I will send a messenger to Queen Rite, let her know her lost one can be picked up at our harbor."

Link and Sheik both grimaced. "It would be better to send it to Kaimana. The King and Queen did not survive the attack," Sheik said without meeting the Rito's eyes. Aquila let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Let's get moving."

It took a bit longer than usual to get moving again. The Rito took over guiding the wagons, while others took to the air to scout the easiest route, so that despite the delay they made better time. Link and Sheik took up posts at the end, guarding the bandits' wagon. By mid afternoon they were back in Hyrule Field.

Link leaned his head back and sighed as the sun shone on his face. The wind slipped through his hair and tossed his hat and tunic gently. "So," he said without looking away from the sky. "You going to give Adelaide her ribbon back?" Sheik made a choking sound and Link laughed. "She's been looking at you all day, you know. Can't take her eyes off you."

"Shut up, Link."

"Or what?" he went on lightly. "Would a kind and gentle soul like you truly lash out in anger at such a simple brute as myself." He finally turned to look at the older man and found him glaring.

"Shut up, before I kindly and gently kick you off that horse."

Link laughed again as he reined Nightfire out of easy reach. "Seriously, what are you going to do?"

Sheik glared at him for a minute more, his green eyes flashing behind his black hair. Finally he looked away. "Nothing. She's not my type."

"You have a type?" Link asked as he moved his horse farther away. Sheik glowered at him. "Let me think, what would your type be...?" Link made a great show of thinking.

"Do not think I can't use this," Sheik interrupted, pulling the horse whip out of his saddle bag.

Link grinned and moved even farther away. "Where did you get that?" Sheik grinned in a way that was not exactly friendly, but gave no answer. Link sighed. "Okay, okay, but really. Why not? She's pretty, she's nice, she basically worships you."

"Think about it, Link." Sheik said patiently. "Everyday I am around you or Zelda I could be killed. If I had kids, who could lay claim to them?"

Link's eyebrows furrowed, then raised. "No."

"Yes. Thorvald is, for all intents and purposes, my father."

"But Zelda..."

"Couldn't do anything about it, not without upsetting the entire court."

Link was silent for several minutes as his horse drifted closer to Sheik's again. "I'd take care of them. Even Thorvald would have to honor a last Will."

Sheik smiled. "That he would. But chances are, if I'm dead, you're long buried." Link made a rude gesture and the older man laughed.

The rest of the trip to the Rito's mountain range was uneventful. With the Rito along, both Link and Sheik were able to get a full night's sleep, even though they hung behind the caravan. In the foggy mornings of Hyrule Field, they practiced sword play, their blades ringing in the cool air. Sheik always seemed five moves ahead of him, but Link had long ago learned not to mind.

On the second morning they had an audience, Adelaide and several of the small children hung back, watching. The men made sure to stay well away from them, one or the other giving ground if the watchers moved too close. The children cheered or booed, then challenged each other with sticks.

On the third day, Adelaide approached them as they finished up. Link smiled as he pretended to concentrate on saddling Nightfire. He could almost feel Sheik glaring at him, and a quick peek confirmed it.

"H-hello," Adelaide stammered.

"Good morning," Sheik responded stiffly. Link played with a buckle on the saddle. "Can I help you?"

"You are a brilliant fighter."

"Thank you. I've had a lot of practice."

"I...well...I just wanted to thank you, for saving me, er, us." Link could hear her shuffling her feet in the tall grass. He glanced over his shoulder. Sheik was focusing on his saddle as the blonde girl sidled slowly closer.

"You are welcome, but Link did a lot of the work and deserves credit as well." Adelaide never took her eyes off Sheik even as she made a soft grunt of acknowledgment.

"You could have run away, but you stayed. You were the one who suffered." Slowly her hand reached out as if to trace his jaw. "That deserves a reward." Sheik's hand snapped up to grab hers before she could touch him, surprising a small yelp from her lips.

"Miss Adelaide, with all due respect, I do not like to be touched by strangers."

She smiled softly at him. "We don't have to be strangers."

He released her hand and returned to his saddle. "Yes, we do. Please tell Chieftain Aquila we will be along shortly." Adelaide stiffened, then turned sharply and walked away too quickly to be normal.

"Little chilly this morning," Link said. Sheik grunted. The caravan got underway and by noon they had reached the Rito's mountain range. Link and Sheik hung back as they crossed the bridge, making camp while they waited for Aquila to return.

It was twilight before the chieftain returned. He looked tired and ruffled, and had a basket tied to his belt. "It has been arranged. At first light we will fly you to the City in the Sky." He untied the basket and passed it to Link. "This should hold you for dinner and breakfast. We wish you would reconsider joining us."

Sheik shook his head. "We won't risk your people. Sleeping outside won't kill us." The Rito smiled at them and nodded, looking relieved, then took flight. They watched him go before turning back to their fire.

"It's nice to be just the two of us again," Sheik said as he opened the basket and took out a loaf of fresh bread.

"You're just saying that because you've had a girl mooning over you," Link replied as he accepted his half of the bread.

Sheik shrugged, taking out two bottles of milk, several slabs of roast, and two apples. He passed Link his share before pulling down his face mask and eating. Link raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "It isn't just that," the older man went on after a while. "I'm tired of babysitting. You've gotten to the point I can sleep and not worry. But first..." he drew his swords. "I could use a workout."

Link smiled as he drew his own sword. The two slowly circled each other, watching for the first move, looking for an opening. Sheik acted first, lunging at Link. The younger man brought his shield up instantly, but no blade made contact. Link lowered his shield and swore; Sheik had vanished. Turning in a slow circle, Link scanned the field around him. The grass was knee high here, but there were no other places to hide. He kept his eyes on the grass, looking for any tale-tell signs of someone hiding.

Not a blade seemed out a place. A breeze blew over the field, bending the grass low, but no flash of blue or white gave anything away. Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smelling rich earth and fresh grass. He listened. The wind stirred, the grass rustled, something thunked against his boot.

Link looked down. An egg had broken across his boot, spilling a fine gray powder. The wind picked up and the dust billowed up around him. The particles burned his eyes and made him cough. A quick blast of wind cleared it away, but the damage was done. It was more luck than skill that he saw the blade and raised his shield.

Metal rang and a boot found his knee. Link hit the ground in a roll but was stopped by another boot against his shoulder. It kept him in an awkward half tumbled position. The cool metal of a blade pressed against his throat and through blurred vision he could make out a figure in blue and white standing over him.

Growling, Link slapped the ground. Earth leapt at his touch, tossing Sheik like a toy. But the other man landed easily on his feet. His hand made a quick motion Link could not make out and the ground beneath him opened up and swallowed him whole.

Link landed headfirst with a splash in freezing water. He came up sputtering and wiping at his eyes. The water had washed the powder away so he could clearly glare up at the man standing over him.

"I hate you."

Sheik laughed and made a gesture with one hand. The water receded and the earth rose under his feet until he was standing level with Sheik again. "Don't take it too hard, Link, I have years of experience." Link grumbled as he wrung water from his tunic and hat. "I suppose you could use the power the Goddesses gave you, but then you'd probably just kill me outright, and I don't think you want to do that."

"There are days..." Link threatened with a smile as he gave up on his tunic and nack towards the fire.

Sheik snorted as he gathered sticks. "You'll never beat me, Hero. Not even in your wildest dreams."

Early the next morning, before most of the Rito were awake, Link and Sheik met Aquila at the base of the mountain. A young Rito took their horses and they quietly followed the chieftain through a tunnel. It skirted the main hall and came out in a room that was probably once a smaller lava vent. It opened to the sky and had a smooth, polished floor.

But what stood in the middle of the room drew their undivided attention. It was a huge balloon, but not like one either of them had ever seen. It was dark blue with gold markings that looked like they had been done by children. Under it, resting on the floor and nestled into the belly of the balloon, was a metal box. The box was made of sweeping curves of a dark metal trimmed in gold. Bird-like wings of cream colored cloth around a metal skeleton stretched from either side, while a similar bird-like tail fanned out the back. Duel windmill fans protruded from the rear above a door that opened downward to create a short staircase.

"Wow, that is amazing..." Link gaped.

Aquila nodded and smiled at the contraption. "It is called an Airship. We use it to take children to the City. It should be able to accommodate your needs as well."

Another Rito, who looked like he had been roused from bed far earlier than he would have liked, stuck his head out of the ship's door at the sound of voices. He rubbed his eyes and mutely motioned for them to join him. Aquila smiled, nodded respectfully to them, and left.

Link shrugged and led the way. The metal clinked under his boots as he climbed the stairs and gave a hollow thunk as he entered the belly of the ship. The bottom of the balloon was directly over his head, close enough for him to reach up and run his fingers against it. He was surprised to find it made of leather and wondered how it was kept full.

"The seams are coated in resin," the Rito supplied in anticipation of his question. He moved past them to raise the stairs and close the door. "Every six months it needs to be taken apart and resealed." He moved to a metal column with a grate at the bottom and several levers sticking out the sides. He shoveled some wood chips into the grate and pulled a lever. A small bellows dropped out of the side of the column. He put one foot on it and began to pump. "Normally we make first time riders sit down, but I think you two will be okay. Just stay away from the controls."

Both men nodded absently as they went to stand by the small windows. The Rito moved around the column to the front of the ship where a wheel stool on its own, with another foot pump bellows underneath. With a soft jolt the machine left the ground. Link watched in amazement as they slowly rose past the lip of the rock. and the land of Hyrule spread out before his eyes.

They rose higher and higher, past the mountains, leaving the land below looking like a soft green mat. Individual plants and animals blurred into the tapestry. The castle came into view, small and gray from such a distance. Death Mountain still loomed over the kingdom, a ring of clouds forever circling its peak. Lake Hylia glittered, a splash of fresh blue paint on a carpet of green.

Still they rose higher, low thin clouds drifting past the window. The Rito hummed to himself as he took them for a spin around the Rito's mountain, giving them a glimpse of the endless sea of sand beyond. Finally he began working the bellows again and they rose heavenward. Link felt the air getting thinner so that as he had to take deeper breaths to fill his lungs.

Then it came into a view. A chunk of earth that defied gravity, floating in midair. He had heard of the floating rocks in legend and fairly tales, but never really thought they existed. Some tales said they were left over from when the Goddesses created Hyrule, others said some past evil had enchanted the place and Hyrule had rejected it. Regardless, the land floated.

The airship rose above the islands, giving a view of a small town resting atop the largest floating rock. Link spotted a small market, a handful of houses, and an inn. The islands were connected by rope bridges that swayed in the wind. Link briefly wondered why the winged race would need such things, then the airship was tossed heavenward by a huge blast of wind that sent Link and Sheik to the floor in surprise. Their pilot laughed and Link joined him. Sheik attempted to glare, but a chuckle of his own escaped.

The airship moved over the island, blocking the wind, and began to descend. Rito looked up, stopping their daily lives to watch the airship land. The craft came down with a thump and the pilot moved back to the levers, setting them into place before opening the door. "Aquila said you'd only need a few days and to wait for you. But take all the time you need, I have some stuff I need to do as well."

The Rito gathered outside the airship greeted them with curious enthusiasm. Link recognized some of them, but most were new faces. Sheik seemed to know more, shaking hands and speaking briefly as he went. They made their way to the small inn, only a single story, where a thin wisp of a bird met them at the door. His feathers were tattered with age and he peered at them with almost white eyes.

As Sheik approached, the old Rito reached out and caught his hand. Link raised a surprised eyebrow, but the older man only smiled. "I know what you seek," the old Rito wheezed. "Come, and make haste." The two followed slowly to keep pace as the old Rito tottered off towards the bridge. He led them away from the tiny village, across the bridge to another large rock. This one was taken up almost entirely by a single, low building. Despite the sunny, clear day, the area lay in a thin veil of gloom.

Link made a face. "Something...is in there. And it isn't happy." He looked at the elderly Rito. "How...?"

The bird-man smiled. "There is more to seeing than my eyes, young one."

Link frowned and shook his head. "I don't know if it is what we are looking for, but let's go get it anyway."

"Lead on, Hero." They made their way around the smooth unbroken building of stone. On the west side of the structure they found an entrance blocked by a slab of rock set into an indent. Link stepped closer and the ground beneath his feet slid down with a grinding noise. An answering grind came from around the corner. Sheik raised an eyebrow and went to look.

"There is another door over here and it's open," he reported. Link moved to follow but as soon as he left the sunken platform, there was another grinding sound as both it and the door slid back into place. Sheik's head appeared around the corner. "The door closed. Step on the platform again."

Frowning, Link stepped back into the doorway and the grinding sounded again. Sheik vanished again.

Slowly, cautiously, Sheik peered inside the room. The light filtering in from the doorway did not go far. The only other light came from a huge crystal that gave off a soft blue inner light. Between the two sources he could make out a roughly triangular shaped room with no obvious features. Slipping his swords from their sheaths, he stepped into the room.

He made a slow circuit of the room. In the darkest corner he found a door set in the stone, but no way to make it open. Frowning, he turned to the room's only feature – the crystal. He circled it, looking at it from every angle, but aside from its glow, it was utterly unremarkable. Curiously, he touched it.

As soon as he touched it, the crystal changed from blue to gold and the room filled with a grinding sound as the door leading out slid shut.

"Link?" he yelled, his voice echoing in the small space. He heard no response. Mist, thick and golden in the crystal light began to rise around his knees. Skittering sounds began to sound within the mist and from overhead. Sheik swore and, pushing himself into the corner closest to the crystal, and raised his swords. "Link!" Still no answer. "Wind." The air rippled and the mist swirled, revealing half a dozen floormasters creeping towards him on their sharp-nailed fingers.

But the heavy mist had nowhere to go and began to sink back to the floor, once again hiding the creatures lurking in the room with him. His mind racing, he brought his swords up to guard as he crouched low. A bit of debris fell from above and he looked up. In the pale crystal light he could sees shapes moving across the stone ceiling as well. "You have got to be kidding me..."

One of the creatures dropped from above. Twice the size of its floormaster kin, the wallmaster's 'wrist' was visible over the top of the mist. Sheik tried to stay still and not draw the creature's attention as another wallmaster dropped.

A glance at the thick mist and he smiled slightly. "Water," he whispered, pushing his magic gently out into the room. The mist condensed and dropped to the floor in a thin, uniform pool of water. The floormasters and wallmasters were still not easy to see and did not seem bothered by the water. More wallmasters dropped to the floor with a splash. "What are you doing, Hero?"

As if it had heard him, the nearest floormaster turned and began creeping towards him. Sheik held his breath, so far the creatures had failed to notice him; but if he attacked, they would all be on him. The disembodied hand kept coming, slowly feeling before it with its finger tips. He slid his feet closer under him, ready for whatever was to happen next. The floormaster extended its fore and middle fingers, probing towards him like a blind, demented spider.

Sheik's sword flicked out, slicing the fingers from the hand. The creature skittered backwards as rotten blood spraying from its wound. As quick as thought the rest of the wallmasters descended to the floor and all the creatures rushed toward him, splashing as they came.

Link whistled softly to himself and leaned against the wall as he waited for Sheik to return. The grind of stone on stone brought him out of his boredom. Looking around he saw the door next to him had slid open. Looking down he saw the platform was still depressed. He peered into the dark room, but saw nothing of note. He stepped backwards off the platform, but it neither raised nor did the door close.

Curious, he walked around the edge of the building to join Sheik. But the door was closed and Sheik was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, Link returned to his door and stepped inside. A quick sweep with his eyes told him the only thing inside was a crystal giving off a soft blue glow. Walking straight to it, he tapped it gently with his sword. The glow instantly changed to gold and stone ground against stone as the door slid closed.

Link wrinkled his nose as a stench, like rotting flesh on a hot day, began to permeate the air. He turned, trying to identify the source, and his boot came off the floor with a wet noise and came down with a squelch. He looked down. The stone floor was gone and in its place was something soft and red. "That's probably not good."

Everything undulated and pulsed, as red fluid oozed down the squishy walls. As Link watched, a dome of floor about three feet across rose several inches and began rolling around the room. Link raised his sword and shield, keeping his eyes trained on the dome.

The deathly white hand wrapped around his throat from behind, broken nails digging into his throat, and lifted him clear off the ground. Below, the dome split open like overripe fruit, spewing forth blood and gore and a lump of dead flesh. Its jaws dropped open and it screeched as it came forward like a slug.

Link swore and twisted, swinging his sword at the creature and trying to escape the hand in the same movement. He lost some skin in the maneuver, but he managed to duck away from the gaping jaws and slash at the soft, white body. The creature jiggled and sunk back into the floor with a slurp. Long, white arms rose from the floor and began groping blindly for him.

Sheik kicked another floormaster off his sword and wiped rotting gore from his face. The disembodied hands just kept coming; no matter how many he killed, two more seemed to spring up in its place. Another wallmaster lunged, long fingers extended toward his throat. Sheik, lashed out. At that moment the light from crystal turned blue, a grinding echoed around him, and the creatures vanished.

His momentum caused him to stumble forward in surprise and land on his hands and knees with a splash. He crouched there for a moment panting and looking around. The monsters and their gore were gone, but the water and his own wounds remained. For a long moment, nothing moved. Finally, he pushed himself up onto his feet. The door in the dark corner had slid open, but the door leading outside remained closed.

With great caution, he crept to the door and looked around the corner. Again he found an empty, triangle shaped stone room with a crystal casting blue light from one corner. The outline of another stone door was just visible in the wan light. He blew out a breath. There were no other options to consider. He walked across the room, kicking the crystal on his way to the corner.

Gold light flooded the room and a horrible scraping echoed around him. The door closed and three six-foot pillars rose out of the floor, each topped with a stone sphere. The pillars stopped rising and the spheres began to slowly rotate.

"Oh, Nayru!" he swore as rose-colored orbs turned to focus on him. His corner had turned from cover to trap. Pushing off the wall, he dodged between the pillars as the beams began cutting into the stone. As he hit the opposite wall, he slipped a dagger from his boot and turned. As the beamos turned toward him again he let the blade fly. It smashed hilt first into the eye with a satisfying crack. The stone sphere shuddered and began to smoke as Sheik darted across the room again to avoid the other two beams.

As he readied another dagger, the broken beamos shuddered again and began to spin again, this time out of sync with the other two. Sheik swore again.

Link felt his shoulder being wrenched out of place as three of the dead hands pulled him in different directions. Only his right leg remained free and he used it to kick the giant white slug thing between its beady eyes. The broken nails had torn any skin they could touch, and more than once the slug had managed to cut him with its sharp teeth. It was only thanks to his mail shirt that kept those teeth out of his gut.

Abruptly the light changed, there was a grinding of stone, and Link landed unceremoniously on his back. He blinked and stared dumbly at the stone ceiling above. He turned his head from one side to the other. The room was once again bare stone. Slowly he pushed himself up, grimacing at the pain in his shoulder. Sheathing his sword, he placed the heel of his hand against his shoulder and gave a sharp shove. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as the bones slipped back into place.

After a moment he rose to his feet, drew his sword, and headed for the door. The next room was much the same as the one he had just left, only the crystal was hanging from the ceiling. He walked a circle around it, but saw nothing else unusual. Taking a deep breath he reached out with his sword.

It was a foot too short.

Link frowned. Replacing his sword and shield, he took out his grappling hook. He gave it a few test swings, then tossed it easily. The hook and rope wrapped around the crystal base and hooked to itself. Link gave it a firm tug to make sure it would hold. The crystal turned gold and the floor vanished.

Link yelped and only luck kept his hand on the rope as he fell. As it was, he dangled by one hand with only a foot of rope between him and a very long fall. The wind buffeted and threatened to steal his lifeline. Quickly, he scrambled back up the rope to the relative shelter of the floorless room.

Sheik blew out an annoyed breath as he slowly rotated. Standing on top of one of the beamos proved to be the best hiding place. They could not see him and therefore could not shoot at him, but the rotating was starting to make him sick.

The beamos disappeared and he abruptly fell on his ass. The light from the crystal turned blue and the door slid open. Sheik grumbled some choice words as he climbed wobbly to his feet. After the room stopped its slow spin, he moved through the door. He hesitated at the crystal, debating the best strategy. After a moment he shrugged, kicked the crystal and put his back into the corner.

The room filled with a rattling sound, and the gold light gave way to flickering blue and green. Sheik closed his eyes and sighed deeply. When he opened them again half a dozen skulls with green or blue flames were flying back and forth around the room in random paths.

Raising his swords to guard, Sheik crouched low. One of the bubbles turned its red eyes on him and began flying his way, streaking towards him like a demented comet. One quick strike with his sword and the bubble bounced back with a clang, its flames going out as it hit the blade and its bones rattling across the stone floor. As one the other bubbles turned in his direction.

The floor slammed closed with a boom. Link looked at it dubiously before carefully putting his feet down. The crystal had returned to blue and the door had opened. Link looked at his grappling hook. One end was still wrapped around the crystal, while the other was now embedded in the floor.

"I'll just get another one." Drawing his sword, he stepped through the door. The crystal sat by the door, firmly attached to the floor. He sighed. "How many of these rooms are there?" Kicking the crystal he put his back against the wall. The room flooded with gold light and stone ground against stone. For a long moment nothing happened, then he heard a scratching and looked up. Hundreds of skullwaltula began to descend, the dinner plate sized spiders boiling down the wall as they crawled over each other. Link stepped away from the wall and watched as they came to the floor and began to crawl across the floor.

With a growl, Link stepped on one. It crunched under his boot and became a sticky pile of goo and exoskeleton. The death did not discourage the others who kept coming in a living wave. As Link backed farther into the room, there was a deep thump of something heavy falling lightly. He turned quickly. The biggest skulltula he had ever seen crouched in the far corner, its pincers clicking.

Link raised his sword and shield and took a fighting stance, a skullwaltula crunched under his heel and another began to climb his leg. He kicked it off just as two more deep thumps echoed came from behind him. A couple of quick glances over his shoulders showed him two more equally large skulltula.

Link swore darkly as all three began to advance, crushing the skullwaltula and clicking their pincers. He turned, not sure which spider would reach him first as underfoot the smaller spiders were crushed or began to climb his legs. Tiny fangs cut into the back of his knee and the poison began to burn. Link slashed at the offending skullwaltula while using his shield to try and slap the closest skulltula away.

One of the other skulltula lunged, knocking Link to the ground where the smaller spiders quickly began to swarm over him. He brought his shield around in time to ward off the pincers snapping towards his neck and thrust his sword up into the creature's unprotected abdomen. He might have tickled it for all the good it did. The skulltula grabbed his shield and shook its head like a dog.

Sheik let out a tired breath as the crystal changed color and the stone door opened. The next room was different from the last ones. It was not triangular for one; instead it was a parallelogram, looking like someone had lopped off the top half of the triangle. For another, there were two crystals and two doors. One door was between the crystals, the other was on the same wall as the one he had stepped through.

With renewed caution, he made the circuit of the room. He studied the crystals with special interest. They were too far apart for him to hit them both at once and he was not sure that was wise. But seeing no other option, he kicked one at random. It was the crystal farthest from his door. The crystal flared gold then faded back to blue. Sheik looked around expecting anything to happen, but nothing did. Minutes ticked by and still nothing happened. Sheik hit the crystal with his sword again, but the result was the same.

Curious, he moved to the crystal closest to the open door and kicked it. This time the crystal flared gold and stayed. Stone ground and the door farther down the wall opened. Sheik raised his swords and waited. He heard a groan and the sound of heavily booted feet, then Link stumbled into the room. Blood and poison oozed from hundreds of cuts, and he held his shield arm close to his body.

"Link?" Sheik said cautiously. Link raised his head and frowned. For a long moment the two men looked at each other, both with hands on their swords. "Where is your new home and who built it?"

"The forest and the Kokiri."

Sheik nodded and put his swords away. Link slumped against the wall and took inventory. His arm was shattered, the skullwaltula had bitten in at least a dozen places, and each place burned. Sheik knelt next to him and got a bottle of blue potion from his pouch, popped the cork, and lifted it to Link's mouth.

"What did you get?"

Link took hold of the bottle with his good hand, downing half before passing it to Sheik. "Dead hand, vanishing floor, and skulltula. You?"

"Floor and wallmasters, beamos, and bubbles." He finished off the bottle before tucking it away. The two sat in silence as they waited for the potion to do its work. "Whoever designed this place was a sick, sadistic freak."

Link laughed. "Shall we?" He pushed himself to his feet, giving his restored arm a swing. He drew his sword and lifted his shield as he moved to the blue crystal. Sheik joined him, swords drawn. Link reached out and hit the crystal with his sword, it flashed gold and the stone door ground open. Both men raised their blades, ready for anything.

The room on the other side of the door was once again different. It was well lit and held only a pedestal. Lying atop was a rather unremarkable mask. Plain white with imitation white hair, its only features were a V of blue across the forehead and twin slashes of red on each cheek. The mouth was a thin angry line, and brow seemed drawn.

"What the–" Sheik reached for it, but Link caught his wrist.

"Don't touch it," he said softly. "It's...not right...somehow." He took a spare tunic from his pouch and wrapped it around the mask, careful to not touch it or leave any of it exposed. "This has to be what everyone is looking for. Let's get it back to the Duke and get them both out of here." As he lifted the mask from the pedestal, a door slid open to their right letting in a blast of fresh air. Both stepped out gratefully.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Masquerade**_

Chapter 9

Link sighed as they set a quick pace away from the Rito's Range. The open air of Hyrule Field and the warm sunlight relieved the tension that had built up. The Rito had tried to convince them to stay the night, and he hated rushing out on them, but the mask in his pouch was giving him a bad feeling.

As dark fell, they made camp. Link flopped on the grass while Sheik set about cooking a rabbit. "You haven't said much since we set out, Hero. What's on your mind?"

Link felt his hand stray to touch his pouch. "Just...tired." His hand moved to rub his eyes.

Sheik grunted. "It's been an interesting day. Eat something, then I'll take the first watch." Link nodded, letting his arm flop across his eyes. A moment later Sheik was shaking him gently. He dropped his arm to find the moon had risen and Sheik was offering him a skewer of meat. He sat up with a groan and took the food.

Automatically, he began to eat, not tasting or caring what he had been given. It wasn't until Sheik placed a hand on his forehead that he paused. The older man studied him quietly for a moment. "You didn't have one of your fits and are going to get sick on me, are you?"

Link shook his head and took another bite. "Tired."

Sheik frowned behind his mask. "Sleep then." Link nodded, finished his meal, and lay back down.

He felt it looming over him; its bright, cruel eyes piercing him through the darkness. He felt hot and cold and very, very small. A hand grabbed him and he bolted upright.

Sunlight burned down on him and Sheik knelt at his side, clearly trying to shake him awake. Link groaned and covered his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Morning," Sheik answered, in a tired, worried voice.

"Morning?" Link repeated as he sat up fully. "Why didn't you wake me for my turn at watch?"

Sheik frowned. "I tried, but you wouldn't wake. You spent all night tossing and murmuring." He studied Link for a moment, still frowning. "Time to talk to me, Hero."

Link rubbed his head. "I don't know. Last thing I remember was lying down." He looked away. "I'm sorry about not waking up. We aren't in a hurry, so you can sleep now."

Sheik smiled, though his eyes remained worried. "All right, Hero. Give me a few hours and then we will get moving again." It was noon before they broke camp. The sun seemed unusually bright to Link, but they kept a brisk pace to make up for lost time. Hyrule Field was empty of all but a few wild animals. Still, Link often found himself looking around as if expecting to see someone else.

Still, by the time they stopped for the night, Link was yawning. Sheik made a fire and cooked some dinner, all the while watching as Link began to nod off where he sat. He had to shake the younger man awake to give him his food, and then watched as he ate it in a half-lidded daze.

"I'll take first watch tonight," Link muttered as he drew his legs up under his chin and yawned again.

Sheik gave him a flat look. "Go to sleep, Link."

"Are you sure?" Link asked even as he lay down and pulled his blanket up to his chin. "I don't mind." He yawned again. He never heard Sheik's reply as sleep claimed him. Sheik watched the firelight dance across Link's face. The peacefulness did not last long. His jaw flexed and clenched, his eyes shifted rapidly behind his lids, and his brow furrowed.

"You do too much, Hero."

The darkness was complete and absolute. He turned in place, but nothing changed. Then came the sound. Dripping, not water, something thicker, slower. Pungent air blew in his face, smelling of smoke and rot, freezing, stealing his breath. His feet found hard ground, it clanged under his boots.

Finally the light came, spilling down from above, though he stood in shadow, revealing iron bars. Beyond, walls of stone rose flat and gray in the light. The cage was small, it only took him half a step to reach the bars and the cage swayed as he moved, leaning him forward slightly. The room was round and without any visible door. Below, chained to the wall, were four figures, each slumped and motionless.

Blood ran in rivulets across the floor, it was splattered on the walls, some almost at eye level to him. Instruments he had no names for lay in a haphazard pile, used and coated in gore. Link felt sick and helpless. Stepping away from the bars, making the cage swing uneasily beneath his feet, he sat down, hiding the gruesome scene below from view.

As he waited for whatever was to happen next, he heard a new sound. Strange and low, it echoed off the walls, growing as it was amplified by the stone torture chamber. Laughter. Cold, cruel, mirthless.

Link came to his feet and went to the bars with a lunge. The cage swung violently. Below, standing the a pool of blood was a figure robed in white. The once pristine fabric was soaking up the blood its hem floated in, and more gore was soaked into his long sleeves and splattered across his front. His shoulders shook violently with each cackle.

Link felt the pleasant burn of Light from the Triforce on the back of his hand. It grew brighter, outshining the sourceless light above, ripping through the bars of his cage, crumbling stone. The laughter died as the Light consumed everything.

Link bolted upright, flinging his blanket into the grass and making Sheik jump for his swords. "By the Goddesses, Hero!" Sheik swore as he relaxed.

Link slouched, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry. Terrible nightmare." Dawn was just cresting the mountains, turning the land golden.

"Yeah, I guessed that," Sheik replied as he stirred the fire and added some wood to cook breakfast. "Tell me about it."

Link shrugged as he stretched and went to retrieve food from his pack. "Just a dream."

Sheik gave him a flat look. "Sure, just a dream. How did you like my blanket, by the way?"

Link looked down at the blanket that lay where he had left it. "Where...did my blanket go...?"

Sheik held up the tattered remains of Link's ruined blanket. "You ripped it up a little after midnight." Link sighed as he sat down. "You are having nightmares you can't wake from, now so violent you may very well be a physical danger to yourself. You will talk to me or I will beat it out of you."

Link let out a slow breath as he passed Sheik some bread and cheese and prepared to cook some meat. "I was in a cage, hanging from the ceiling I think. Below were people, all dead. Someone had done something terrible to them. Then this...man, I guess, in a blood splattered white robe came in and laughed."

"That's all of it?" Sheik asked before taking a bite of bread.

"All I remember."

Sheik chewed his food thoughtfully. "There's more to this, there has to be. Those weren't normal nightmares you were having. They started after you picked up that mask."

"So what do you suggest? Chucking it in the nearest river isn't really an option. And we are still a week's ride from Castle Town – even if we get an early start."

Sheik took a long swallow of his milk. "You can ride during the day, and I can doze in the saddle if I need to. Let's get moving."

They set a swift pace for the morning, eating ground while the day was still cool. At noon they shared a cold meal without stopping. And during the heat of the day they allowed the horses to walk while Sheik dozed in his saddle, simply allowing Blu to follow in Nightfire's wake. As afternoon gave way to evening, Link began to feel the pull of sleep again. He swayed in his saddle, and Sheik had to help him down before he fell.

The cage was back, he knew it even before the light revealed it to him. Something still dripped, slow and sluggish. The harsh light flashed on and a terrified scream filled the air. Link hit the bars hard and the cage swung violently, creating a loud creak of metal on metal.

The room below was different. There was no blood and the people were still alive. The figure in white stood at a table with neatly stacked instruments. Hands hidden in sleeves fondled a whip. The woman at his back had a bloody slash on her cheek that continued across her outstretched arm. Her cries had faded to frightened whimpers. All the people were blindfolded, but only the bleeding woman was not gagged.

"You sick son of a bitch!" Link growled. "Leave them alone!"

The robed figure ignored them both; tossing the whip aside with a bored flip, he pawed through the tools remaining on the table. After several moments, he selected a large, heavy hammer. With the cold detachment Link would use to put bedding in a stall, the robed man moved back to the woman and smashed her right hand. Her scream echoed up the chamber in high-pitched pain.

Before she had even finished, the robed man turned and smashed her left foot, then her right. Without altering his rhythm her left hand went next, then her knees and elbows. Somewhere in the midst of the blows the woman had stopped screaming, though her mouth remained open as if she were.

Link stamped down the rage and bile rising in his throat. "This is just a dream," he said in a forced even voice. "They aren't real. None of this is real."

The laughter returned. "Then this will not bother you, boy." The hammer slammed into the woman's face, shattering her skull in a spray of blood and bone. Link felt sick as he shoved himself away from the bars and sat down in the middle of the cage. The laughter continued and was soon joined by new screams.

Link woke and promptly threw up. Having not eaten any supper, his stomach was empty, but he heaved until his sides ached and just breathing hurt. Finally, he lay back down in the grass and just tried to bring air back into his lungs. Sheik asked no questions, just brought him some water and a wet cloth.

"When the hell did I become your wet nurse?" Link gave a small, painful laugh as he tried to sit up. Sheik helped him, then offered him more water. "You think you can hold anything down?"

"I don't know."

"Let's start with bread then." Sheik rose and returned with a chunk of plain bread. "It was worse this time, wasn't it?"

"I got to watch the torture this time." He took a bite of bread and a swallow of water.

"Let me carry the mask for a while."

Link chewed another bite of bread as he shook his head. "I don't think it is that simple."

Sheik frowned as he lowered his scarf to start his own breakfast. Link noticed idly that the older man still sat so his scar was hidden. "What do you mean?"

Link played with his water bottle a while before answering. "I'm not sure how to explain it. When...back in the desert, when you thought I was dead." Sheik nodded his understanding. "The Goddesses, they took something from me. It...he, really. Like they split me in two. The other half they locked away. He was...terrible." He shook his head as if the word was not suitable before continuing. "They said he was made of all my darkest emotions. Does that even make sense?"

"Yeah, in a way. It explains a lot about you." He finished his breakfast and began saddling the horses. When Link rose to help he shoved him back down. "What does that have to do with the mask?"

"It's evil. Like Sarken. It can't control what I don't have."

Sheik gave him an amused look. "Are you saying I'm evil, Hero?"

Link grinned back, showing his teeth. "Good men don't beat farmboys with sticks." Sheik gave a bark of laughter.

"All right, Hero, you have me there." He cinched Nightfire's girth tight and turned back to the younger man. "If we ride hard, we can be at the castle in two days. Can you ride?"

"I'll manage," Link replied as he stood. His legs shook a bit, but he managed to mount his horse. The day passed much like the one before, but it was Link who dozed in the saddle during the day. As the sun began to sink, he could feel the darkness gnawing at the edge of his consciousness, like a rat at bread crust. The ground swayed before his eyes then rushed up at him. He heard Sheik say his name, but it sounded hollow and far away.

He woke on his knees in darkness. The slow dripping filled the air. Growling, he tried to rise and found he could not. Chains rattled in the darkness. The harsh light blinded him and it took several minutes before he could see again. He was no longer in the cage, but chained to the floor. The stone was hard and sharp under his knees, and even the slightest movement caused them to slice into his skin.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up. The robed figure loomed over him, still dressed in white, still splattered with gore. The cowl was pulled low, and in the shadow of the sourceless light, only his chin could be seen. But even in the dark shadow, his eyes glowed. Fierce and pupil-less, they watched him, unblinking, for what felt like hours. Link glared back, refusing to look away. Slowly, though the figure said nothing, Link got the feeling he was being mocked.

The figure stepped away, revealing the wall behind him. Two figures hung there this time. A black-haired man in blue and a blonde woman in pink. Link felt his heart stop cold.

"I take it you know these...creatures," the figure laughed. He reached out and lifted Zelda's chin with a hand hidden in his sleeve. Blue eyes filled with frightened tears came up to meet Link's. "Don't worry, I will take very good care of them." He turned to Link, his humor gone. "And this time you will watch."

The figure released the princess and turned to his table. He returned with a knife that he pointed at the hollow of Zelda's throat. Slowly he dragged the blade down, just breaking the skin, and cutting away her dress with unnatural ease. Link tried to look away as she was exposed to him, but he felt something like a massive hand forcing his head back around. Defiantly he closed his eyes.

"Coward," the figure hissed.

"Bastard," Link snapped back. "They aren't real and you can't hurt them." He was answered by the snap of a whip and a pained shriek. Link set his jaw and did not react. With no way to shut out the noise, he was forced to listen to the ripping of flesh and the cries of pain – first from Zelda and then from Sheik. Hot blood pooled around his knees, soaking into his pants.

As he knelt there, he began to feel the loosening of the hand on the back of his neck. His tired mind buzzed with the implications. He opened his eyes. Rivulets of blood ran between the rocks of the stone floor. Focusing, he watched the blood turn to water and the stone turn to sand. The sounds of pain vanished and was replaced with a furious roar. The chains about his wrists released and he rose to his feet.

The dungeon was gone, replaced by a lake that spread as far as the eye could see. The water was only inches deep and smooth as glass, reflecting the light of the full moon overhead. The figure stood a few meters from him, its robe still bloody, but the hem washing clean in the water. It was taller than Link expected, standing nearly a full head taller. Without the harsh light, its face was no longer hidden and Link was unsurprised to see the mask under the cowl. The features had not changed, but somehow it looked furious.

"What are you?" the mask asked, though its lips did not move. "No one has ever resisted my control before. No one."

Link smiled. "I am the Hero of Hyrule. Chosen of the Goddesses. What are you?" He felt the mask smile though the lips failed to move.

"I am many things to many beings."

"Cryptic,"Link said flatly with a half-lidded look. "But you only have power when the sun is down."

"You are...different..." the mask admitted.

A smile curled Link's mouth. "Sheik is more creative." The smile faded. "Let's cut to the chase, get out of my head or I'm going to put my sword between your eyes. I promised to return you, not that you'd be whole when I did." The mask made no reply, but Link could feel its disgust. Ignoring it, Link reached for his magic, and a moment later he sat up. Sheik jumped, and grabbed his swords, clearly surprised by Link's pre-dawn awakening.

"Hero?"

"I'm good," Link said with a yawn. "Tired. But, good."

Sheik gave a slow nod. "Go back to sleep, Hero."

The castle never looked so beautiful. The white stone blushed in the setting sun and flags of blue, gold, and red flapped in the breeze. Link lifted his head, imagining he could already smell what was for dinner. Sitting down to a hot meal, a hot bath, and a warm bed sounded like heaven right now. He was also grateful they arrived late. Though they had to hurry to make it before the gate went up for the night, most people would be home and the streets empty.

The clop of the horses' hooves echoed down the cobbled streets. The setting sun painted the town in hues of gold and pink. The few vendors still closing down their shops waved to them, but otherwise they were alone. Link stretched and took a deep breath, taking in all the familiar smells. Sheik smiled behind his mask.

"Good to be home."

"Yeah." The guard saluted them as they passed the main gate, and they both returned the gesture absently. "Really, all I want is to be rid of this thing."

"Well, assuming Mr. High and Mighty hasn't changed his habits, we probably have time to interrupt his bedtime rituals." Sheik smirked. Link laughed, sliding from his horse and allowing the stableboy to lead Nightfire away. Sheik led the way, slipping through the castle like a ghost as he bypassed the main halls via the servant passages and secret passages. They came out in the west wing, as far from the other residents as they could be. Link snorted as Sheik directed him to the correct door, and knocked.

"Begone! I require rest," came the irritated reply. Link swallowed a satisfied smile as he opened the door and walked in anyway.

"Sir, I–"

"Away, boy!" The duke snapped. He sat at a writing desk, his tattered book open in front of him. He was now robed in a silk dressing gown of gaudy yellow.

"– have brought your artifact," Link continued over the interruption. The Duke whirled around in his chair and glared at Link.

"Still impudent, knight."

"Still uncivil," Link replied, stepping fully into the room. He pulled the mask from his pouch, still wrapped in his spare tunic and presented it unceremoniously to the old man. The Duke made a face as if he had been offered his own entrails on toast.

"Stupid boy!" He threw his hands up dramatically. "To carry such a precious, irreplaceable artifact about as if it were common bread. Are you so dull witted that you could not conceive that such an item should be borne with dignity and respect?! Bah! Heathens, all of you." He turned back to his desk and grabbed his book. With a deft movement he flipped it open to a series of pages that had been cut out to create a hiding space. "Place it here. Carefully."

Link dropped the mask none-to-gently, turned on his heel, and stormed out. Sheik raised an eyebrow. "He has his mask; he can leave in the morning. Goddesses bless!"

"I'll let Zelda know," Sheik replied. "Why don't you get some sleep?" Link nodded and the two headed back towards the main castle.

Red eyes opened in a shadowy corner. The shadow shuddered and slithered, forming a figure as it detached from the wall. He watched silently as the two young men turned a corner, already laughing and talking as if they had all the time in the world. He smiled as he stepped to the door, and gently pushed it open. He licked his lips in anticipation as he saw the pompous ass seated at his desk. He slammed the door shut behind him and the Duke turned around.

"Knight, you–" he stopped as he saw the man in black.

"Hello, Duke. Miss me?" Sarken smiled. "I hate to break your little heart, but the knight won't be saving you." He lifted his hand and dark power wrapped around the old man. "In the meantime, you and I have some catching up to do."

Link leaned back in his chair, comfortable, full, and content for the first time in several weeks. He had no qualms about living in the saddle, but there was nothing like the luxury of the Castle after weeks of hard riding. Hot meals served to him with no hunting or cooking, a warm, soft bed without having to keep watch, and the simple pleasure of conversation without having to keep one ear tuned for danger.

"Link..." Zelda said carefully. He groaned, knowing that soft cajoling tone of voice. Zelda smiled at him, apology written clearly on her face. "I know you just arrived, but I have something I would like for you to do. It should not take long and there will be little travel."

Link sighed with good natured annoyance. "What can I do for you, Princess?"

Zelda beamed at him. "You remember the outpost at Snow Peak, correct? There have been some...problems."

"Problems?" Sheik prompted, clearly amused.

"Large snow beasts," the princess replied, imitating a gesture she must have picked up from an overexcited solider. It was so un-princess-ly, both men burst out laughing. Zelda giggled as well. "But, really, Link." She sobered. "I would take it as a personal favor. The Snow Peak outpost is very important to Hyrule." She gave him her sweetest smile. "Of course, you should not feel obligated to rush out right away. The Duke will want a feast and I'm sure you would be an honored guest. He may even insist you be seated at his right hand, as a place of honor."

"Don't twist his arm or anything, Princess," Sheik chuckled.

"I'll be on my way first thing in the morning," Link promised with a smile.


End file.
